Different Seasons
by XeroKitty
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke are finally reunitied. It's going to be a long year...
1. Hope Springs Eternal, 1

_Sasuke and Naruto are finally reunited. This story follows them throughout the year._

**Warning: **Cursing and slightly adult themes.

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ belongs to Kishimoto. The titles of the chapters belong to Stephen King, from his collection of short works entitled _Different Seasons._

**Notes: **I've got to get back into the habit of writing. This is an attempt, of sorts. Forgive me if dialogue feels forced or things don't lace together seamlessly. I'm out of practice.

* * *

Konohamaru looked up from his lunch—a bowl of _miso_ ramen—as a group of younger students from the academy rushed past Ichiraku, shouting excitedly. He only caught a snatch of their conversation as they shot past:

"—can't believe it!"

"Yeah! Naruto's coming home!"

"And I heard he—"

Konohamaru grinned lightly to himself, lowering his chopsticks. It was hard to believe that in the years since he had befriended Uzumaki Naruto, the blonde's popularity had skyrocketed. There were even rumors that the Old Hag (a.k.a. Tsunande) was seriously considering him as a worthy replacement for her as hokage. That rumor alone would have made Naruto fly into a gleeful set of backhand springs, but it was fairly recent, and the blond hadn't been around for a good while now: he was on a mission.

_Not anymore_, it seemed, and Konohamaru gulped the last of his ramen down and leapt from his chair, throwing a handful of yen onto the table, not really caring if it was the correct amount or not. He had to go see Naruto, had to go see his face as he walked back through the gates of the city that he loved so much. He had to see if Naruto had finally gotten what he'd wanted for the past four years.

* * *

A thick crowd of civilians had gathered around the high wooden gates at the city entrance. Some of the ninjas had either leapt up onto neighboring rooftops so they could get a better view, or balanced on top of the tall stone fence that connected to the gates and trailed off to either side. Konohamaru was one of these people, but as soon as the three (_three?_ He could remember thinking worriedly. _Only three?_) silhouettes on the path turned into actual human-shapes, he leapt nimbly down and landed on the dirt path on the other side—the shocked gasp from the crowd made him grin smugly to himself—and started running toward them.

"Naruto! Heeeeeey, Naruto!" he waved one hand enthusiastically over his head, looking for some sign of recognition or acknowledgement from the party. That was when things looked eerily wrong: two of the three human-shapes began to take on a sort of bloated quality, as if they weren't human but fat, giant monsters that walked upright. _That__'s __totally ridiculous_, Konohamaru blinked but it nonetheless stopped his run and stood in almost dumbfounded apprehension, waiting for the figures to show color and shape so he could identify what they _really _were. The first one that his mind completely identified was the actual human-shape: it turned out to be Sai. He looked almost pathetically tired, and his dark eyes landed on Konohamaru and gazed _through_ him, as if there was nothing there at all. He shuddered, tearing his eyes away from that shell-shocked stare and tried to puzzle out the shape to the right; the larger monster (_oh, get over it_) of the other two.

That one turned out to be Hatake Kakashi carrying a sleeping Haruno Sakura. Konohamaru had just enough time to wonder why she was sleeping—or if she really wasn't sleeping, what was wrong with her—when a tired sounding voice called from his left.

"Hey, Konohamaru," Uzumaki Naruto croaked, and in that voice, the younger ninja heard years of pain and age wrapped up in the words, as if he had come back from a five year mission (which was actually close enough to the truth). He looked to his friend's face, but saw nothing of the Naruto that had left a few months ago to rescue his teammate. He saw Death staring him down and Konohamaru involuntarily cried out as it seemed Death _lunged_ at him, and he turned wildly, unthinking (_gotta run gotta run gotta run_) but a thud came from behind him and Kakashi gave a sort of half-laugh, half-cry of pain and there was another thud. He spun back around to see that Naruto (yes, it was Naruto all along) had fallen face-first into the dirt and was now unconscious. The weight that he had been carrying was none other than Uchiha Sasuke, looking older and dressed in strange clothes but not really different from all his years of absence, also unconscious. His eyes shot wildly to Kakashi, who had fallen to one knee, panting harshly. Sai stopped and looked left, then right, his eyes taking in his fallen comrades unheedingly but he stopped walking as if on some inner level he understood after all, which, Konohamaru later thought, he supposed was the truth.

"Konoha…" Kakashi gasped, and for the first time in his entire life, he saw Kakashi didn't have his headband draped over his left eye; he didn't have one at all. He saw the blood-red flash from beneath the sweaty and dirty locks of fine silver hair and cold fear left him frozen to the spot. After all those years of wondering, he didn't want to know, didn't want to see, and he turned and fled back up the path screaming for a medical team. In the end, it was what Kakashi had wanted to ask him anyway, but no—he hadn't wanted to see. In some perverse way, that red gleam was like a seductive taunt that made Konohamaru want to obey whatever its owner commanded, and he didn't like that feeling, not one bit.

And that was Konohamaru's first run in with the Sharingan eye, but he didn't know that for a long time afterwards.


	2. Spring, 2

It had been…different, to say the least. Different from what Uchiha Sasuke had always dreamed to be the end of everything: the end of his bloodline, his brother, him. First of all, there was no terrible killing aura in the air of his dreams (except for his own, maybe) nor had there been allies. Oh sure, he had created Team Hebi, but they weren't his allies—they were his tools ( _all dead tools now_, he thought grimly). In reality, there were more people in that final battle than he had ever thought possible. But the main thing was: he was facing Itachi man to man, with no interruptions or distractions between them (just that horrible, red, killing aura) and that was what he had always wanted, ever since he could completely understand the depth and berth of revenge in its fullest and ugliest form.

What he wasn't expecting was Naruto.

* * *

_"Ha! I finally found you, Sasuke!"_

_"STAY BACK!"_

* * *

He had yelled with such vicious ferocity that the blond had been stunned, the smug grin over his tanned and annoying face had not merely slipped but _dropped_ and shattered almost audibly on the ground at his feet. His blue eyes had somehow turned dark and intense, and that's when the ugly aura had first started. He now understood—irritatingly enough, thanks to his brother—that the aura itself had not been from Naruto, but from the nine-tailed demon sealed away inside of him. It had answered a lot of questions, granted, but it also felt like all this time, Naruto had been cheating somehow. While Sasuke himself only had his own chakra and skills to rely on, Naruto had whole _reserves_ of the shit just waiting for him to tap into them. Unfair. And when the final battle had begun, he had gone after the head Akatsuki-leader-asshole instead, whose name Sasuke couldn't be bothered to remember. 

And then there was pain.

* * *

Tsunande scanned her eyes through the hospital room. Three beds lay stretched across to either end, each holding an unconscious figure, each figure being huddled over by one of her best ninja medics. To her far right, Uchiha Sasuke groaned from his bed and tried to roll over onto his side, as if trying to get away from something in his dreams. His medic—the eldest of the three, one who had actually been on Hayate Gekou's med team—grabbed his shoulders and, despite Sasuke's quick reflexes of self-defense, the medic had him lying on his back once more, mumbling soothing-sounding words that were not of comfort but another jitsu in order to calm the patient's mind so they wouldn't struggle during the recovery period. Tsunande thought briefly about Naruto's return with Sasuke and was secretly happy for her young charge. However, the practical and no-nonsense side of her was steadily arguing that it was not a good idea for the last Uchiha to be here. There would be big problems in Konoha if he were allowed to stay after turning his back on the Leaf. _No_, she corrected herself, _that's not quite fair to him. He didn't turn his back so much as he left for an unassigned mission_. That was the clearest way she could put it to herself. 

On the center bed, the one next to Sasuke, was Naruto and he was being attended to carefully by Hyuuga Hinata—a girl she believed she could one day train into a great medical nin like she had Sakura. But Hinata didn't have the will, and she wouldn't have wanted to do something like that anyway. But looking at her face now, Tsunande couldn't say the girl had no will at all. Her eyes were hard and cold and her face was grimly set as her healing hands passed steadily over Naruto's broken and injured body. When Konohamaru had run into the town screaming for medics, she had first thought he had been overreacting. After she had analyzed Naruto's wounds, she was glad he had put up such a scene. A look that was almost guilt crossed over her face as Tsunande watched Hinata channel her energies into Naruto slowly, filling him. She had picked Hinata to be Naruto's healer because, despite the heartache it would give her, she would perform at least a hundred and ten percent better than if she were treating anyone else. Which was also why…

Tsunande's eyes finally drifted to the left, to the last bed, where Sakura lay nearly comatose. A wave of grief suddenly rose inside her and threatened to leak from her eyes and she clenched her fists sharply, digging the long and well-manicured nails into the meat of her palms. Sakura had done exactly what Tsunande had warned her against: she had used her own life energy to give someone else a sufficient amount to live. Glancing briefly at the other two, she wasn't at all surprised. Those boys were her life, so to speak, and even though Sakura certainly knew better she had done it anyway. Which Tsunande couldn't blame her for; she had tried to do it for Dan but Jiraiya had been there to stop her. Perhaps Kakashi had been incapacitated and couldn't be there to warn her although she doubted it—Sakura most-likely did it, even against the warnings.

Yamanaka Ino was her med nin, and Tsunande mentally clapped herself on the back, despite the situation. The blond girl was sobbing, yes, but she was also cursing as she lay the healing hands on the other girl.

"Sakura, you bitch, come on! You fucker, you had to just go and fucking show off, didn't you? Well, you're not dying on me now, dammit!" Her words hiccupped in her throat as the green glow from her hands eerily illuminated her tears and making them look like sparkling pearl drops. There was no one better for the task, she believed, and she was right as far as anyone that mattered was concerned. Done with her examinations of the three, she turned to go.

"Godaime-sama," the med from Hayate's old team spoke up—_Akira_, she thought. _His name is Akira_.

"Yes?" she paused, her hand on the doorknob.

"Why are you… I mean, why did you assign me to…?" he looked almost guiltily down at Uchiha Sasuke. Tsunande understood. She turned to look at Akira, her face stony, masking her impatience with him.

"I chose you, Akira, because you were the best of your old team at mind-soothing, which is what is needed here. Also, Uchiha Sasuke is not guilty of anything until proven so—" It looked as if Akira were about to protest so she held up her hand for his silence. "—he is just like another ninja of the Leaf and I have entrusted him into your care. Do you want me to rethink my belief in your abilities?"

"No, ma'am," he looked mystified, as if he couldn't really understand what she was talking about: his skills were actually trusted and _needed_?

"Good. And you're not to talk about your current duty to anyone except me or your patient, do you understand?" He nodded. "Not even your teammates." Another nod. "Or your own teacher." Nod. "I'm going to a meeting now. I'm counting on you."

_Counting_ on him, even? Akira looked a bit sick as he nodded one last time. "Yes, Godaime-sama." She left without another word, opening the door, stepping into the frigid coolness of the hallway, and closing the door behind her. She took a moment outside to pause and catch her breath; seeing those three lying in there made her feel nauseous in a way she had never really experienced before and the alien emotion bothered her.

"Nothing is ever easy," she sighed under her breath and straightened up, striding down the hospital wing toward the elevators.


	3. Spring, 3

On the fifth day of their return to Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto's eyes popped open.

"He's awake!" someone crowed and it made him wince; there was a sharp, drilling pain that shot continuously from one temple to another. Something else was slightly amiss, but he couldn't figure it out until his visitors had left and all was quiet again. The person who had nearly screamed and made Naruto's head feel like it was splitting in two was Konohamaru, looking at him with a mixture of relief and—was that _guilt_? Why in the world would the boy feel _guilty_?

"So he is," came a more subdued voice that he immediately recognized as Kakashi's and when he tried to sit up, a flare of pain so sudden and hard in its intensity knocked the wind out of him. He lay there gasping for what seemed like hours but was only a couple of seconds and then, with_out_ sitting up, he addressed his teacher:

"Sensei, what—"

"You're back in Konoha!" his friend exclaimed and Naruto cringed visibly. He hated it, but little tears of pain that came un-summoned leaked from his eyes and spilled down the corners to his ears, where they were absorbed by what he could only assume to be bandages. Konohamaru didn't notice them but Kakashi did—god bless the pervy ninja—and he lay a hand on the excited boy's shoulder.

"Konohamaru, Naruto's not deaf, even if he does have bandages covering his ears. He can hear you if you speak normally."

"Oh," the boy blushed, "sorry."

"Kahashi, where's—"

"On your left is Sasuke, and on your right is Sakura," he assured quietly and the tears came again, unbidden. Now they wouldn't stop. He closed his eyes to try and hide them and maybe he did from Konohamaru, but never could Kakashi be fooled. "We just wanted to see you when you woke up, and you have, so we'll just be going now." He heard the older ninja stand.

"Aww, Kakashi-san! I wanted to be with Naruto longer!" he could hear the pout on Konohamaru's face and despite feeling like shit, he cracked a small grin.

"You can come visit tomorrow, Konohamaru," Naruto said.

"All right!"

"Now, come on, before you wake Sakura with all your squawking."

"Not fair, Kakashi-san."

"Truth. Now get."

"Aww…"

Footsteps, a door, then blessed silence. Naruto waited for the headache thumping in his temples to recede, then took a mental inventory of himself:

Two arms, check. Two legs, double check (ha-ha). Fingers and toes? He couldn't see to count, but what the hell? Check for now. Pounding head, check. Lungs, stomach, guts; check, check, check. Chakra? Hell no, but that was fine. Seal…

And that's when the second odd thing became tangible—the Kyuubi Kitsune was awfully subdued. Hiding, almost. But why? He mentally poked around in that dark corner of his mind that housed the Kyuubi's cage and found it to be not hiding but _hibernating_; sleeping. Had the battle really worn him out _that_ much? Is that why he wasn't already jumping around? The Kyuubi couldn't boost his healing rate because it was _exhausted_? The occurrence of that thought actually made him laugh aloud, although in his current physical state, it came out more as a dry, weak chuckle. It served the fucking fox, for it was at the root of the damned problems he had gotten mixed up in on his way to get Sasuke back.

_Sasuke…_

Knowing it would hurt and not caring, he turned his head slowly to the left as he opened his eyes, steeling himself against the fresh pain that flared up in him. Sasuke lay there just as Kakashi had promised, looking for all the world as if he were dead. But he wasn't.

_We took care of it_, he thought suddenly, hotly, and at the brink of some inner madness. _He's not dead; Sakura and I made _sure

* * *

_There had been blood, a lot of it Itachi's but a lot of it also belonging to Sasuke. Naruto had stared at the crimson spills apprehensively, as if touching the blood or getting it on him in some way—even smelling its bitter, coppery scent—would doom him. He teetered at the edge of this thought, then Sakura called for him—_shrieked_ for him—and he took off running, leaping over the pools of blood unconsciously. She was covered in the accursed red stuff, looking for all the world like a haunted battle ghost of some sort, but fresh tracks of pale flesh were being cut through the redness and he noticed they were tears. Her lower lip trembled, heavy with the thing she _had _to say but _couldn't.

_"Naruto, he's... Sasuke's..."_

* * *

The door opened, yanking him out of his trance. He looked at the newcomer, half startled and half angry. It was Rock Lee, and this took him aback: What was Lee doing here? 

The dark-haired ninja crossed the room, heedless of Naruto's eyes on him. He plunked himself down in the chair between Naruto's bed and Sakura's, and, forcing himself not to flinch or cry out, Naruto slowly and silently turned his head to the opposite side to look at the other man's back and the pink-haired woman lying unconscious in the other bed. There was a sharp crinkle of cellophane paper and a bouquet of red roses was laid down on the small table beside him.

"Ino told me you liked these flowers," Lee spoke quietly, almost mumbling under his breath. He was addressing Sakura's sleeping form. "But I think every girl likes roses. There's just something about them that sticks, isn't that right?"

Naruto listened to Lee talk with a strange mix of amusement and pity.

"I wanted to get you orchids, but Ino insisted. I think she thinks I was trying to make an impression on you, but why would I want to do that with flowers when I've already told you how I feel? Whether it's with flowers or words, it stays the same. My feelings have never changed for you, not once in all these years.

"But I know that somewhere deep inside you, you're still obsessed with Sasuke. And in light of that knowledge, I can never win. I've been fighting a phantom for almost five years, and still—to this day—I'm losing. The fact that you nearly gave your life for him solidifies that belief for me.

"But it doesn't change that I want you to recover quickly," Lee's tone had been low and almost monotone, but now it rose a bit into something of his normal speaking voice. "I need you to live, Sakura, so that I can live, you see. I wouldn't be as foolish as to kill myself if you weren't able to make it—you have to forgive me if that somehow sounds insensitive; I didn't mean it in that way—but in a way, a _part_ of me would die, and when a _part_ of someone dies, the rest is never the same. And that out-of-synch state that would result will almost certainly kill me somewhere along the way. So you see," his voice suddenly dropped again, "you can't die. You can't die because I love…"

And he broke down into quiet sobs; in his own grief, heedful of the other two patients in the room. Naruto felt a heat rising in his neck and face, and almost hated himself for being a silent witness to this private moment. If he could erase it from his memory, he would. Not because it was pukingly sweet or teasing fodder for him to use on Lee later, but because the words were spoken earnestly from the depths of the man's heart, and were meant for only two people: Lee and Sakura. The fact that he had heard this and bore witness made him fidgety and uncomfortable.

Lee stopped crying of his own accord. He cleared his throat and straightened up, lifting himself from the chair. Naruto saw him swipe an arm over his eyes self-consciously, like a little boy.

"I'm going to get going now. Guy-sensei's waiting for me outside; he agreed to stay down there and let me be alone up here with you." Naruto felt like he had been beaten by the Guilty Stick. "Please, get well soon, Sakura." There was a brief moment where Lee just stood there as if he were contemplating something. Then he leaned down and brushed his lips tenderly against Sakura's forehead. Naruto deliberately closed his eyes—no more private moments for him, thank you. "Goodbye," he heard Lee whisper to her and then footsteps shuffled to the door, it opened and closed, and they were alone again. Naruto opened his eyes and turned his aching head to the front, his gaze trailing over the ceiling. After a long while, he slept.


	4. Spring, 4

Sai came to visit them when he heard Sakura had woken up too. He brought her flowers—orchids, Naruto observed with a sort of sick humor. She took them and thanked him, smiling kindly. The roses (she didn't know who they were from) sat in a vase on the bedside table she had requested from one of the nurses. She held the orchids in her lap.

Sai talked to them both, his left arm cradled securely in a cast. He confessed that it hurt like a bitch, but at least he could still draw, and that's what made the healing process bearable. He also told them about the happenings in Konoha: Tsunande was gearing up for a huge meeting with all the important and prominent figures of the village, and every team who was out on a mission had sent messages back, saying they were cutting things short to be at the event. Apparently, it was all about Sasuke and whether or not he was being allowed to stay, and everyone wanted to know the verdict when it happened. Sakura rolled her eyes and Naruto laughed it off, but he knew that she had felt as uneasy as he had then.

During Sai's visit, Kakashi, Konohamaru, Yamato-sensei, and even Iruka came to see how they were doing. Iruka made a big fuss over Naruto, much to the entertainment of the others. Finally, the nurse making the rounds came in and said that the three of them had to be inspected by Godaime-sama for their bi-weekly status report, which meant everyone had to leave. After they were all gone and the nurse had given them an hour heads-up for Tsunande's arrival, Naruto and Sakura looked over at each other and the good-humored smiles faded from each of their faces.

"Are you alright?" they asked one another at the same time and then chuckled nervously.

"You first," Sakura urged.

"I'm okay," Naruto shrugged, noting the twinge of pain the action still gave him. "I should be up and about by the end of the week if the Old Hag doesn't say otherwise." He gestured to her with his chin. "What about you?"

"I'm tired," she answered with a wry smile and he grinned back. "Nothing really hurts, it's just kind of like, this one big _ache_."

"You're more exhausted than wounded," he noted. "Too much chakra."

"Yeah, but…" her eyes drifted past him to the bed beyond. They were quiet. "We…did the right thing… right?" she asked him softly.

"Yeah," he assured her with a nod. "Definitely."

"I hope he sees it that way," she sighed. "It would be a little pointless to have him back, only to hate us for not letting him die."

"I don't think he really wanted to die," Naruto made a face. Sakura gave him a bemused look.

"Sometimes, the way he talked about facing his brother, I wonder…" she trailed off.

"No," Naruto said more firmly. "He also promised to revive his clan, remember? He can't do that if he's dead."

Hesitantly—_wanting_ to believe—she nodded. "I couldn't think of anything else," she said helplessly, giving him a small, ashamed grin. "I saw all the blood, I felt for his pulse and there was—"

* * *

_He fell on his knees beside her. Her eyes had an insane look in them, and he found that he couldn't flinch away from her because at the moment, he had been insane as well. Her hands were on his chest, glowing,_ pulsing_ green, like a heartbeat that she had captured in her palm._

_"I can do it," she swore aloud, not really to him but to anyone who cared to listen. "I can heal him, just watch me."_

_And her hands flew into a complicated seal that he knew in the back of his mind that she had never been taught but instinct had guided her just the same. Then her hands were on him again, shining wildly, desperately, as if all of her chakra wanted to burst out of her all at once, and some rational thought tugged harshly at him, making him place his hands over hers. __Her eyes flashed up at him—dangerous eyes._

_"I can do it," she said again._

_"I'm not losing you," he swore, and drove his nails into her flesh, daring her to shake him off. The fiery chakra deep within his belly stirred at his beckoning, rising to fill her hands and __mingle__ with her own greenish-teal life force, driving down into the too-still body…_

* * *

"So, it's your fault."

The soft and somehow cold voice filled the room, snapping both of them out of their recollection. Sakura's eyes widened and Naruto turned as quickly as he could to look at the third person in the room. Uchiha Sasuke stared impassively up at the ceiling, his face a mask of composure.

"You're alive…!" Sakura choked on her words.

"What did you mean by that?" Naruto asked, his voice and face both guarded.

Sasuke said nothing and a commotion from outside drew their attention away from him momentarily:

"I need to see her!"

"I'm sorry sir, but visiting hours are—"

"_I don't care!_" the first voice nearly screamed. "_I've got to see her!_"

"Lee-san?" Sakura looked at the door, puzzled.

"Please, you could upset the other pa—"

"Screw the other patients and _let me in!_"

"Sir, please—"

"What's going on here?" another voice interrupted the argument.

"Ah, Godaime-sama!" the second voice—a nurse's voice, they could only assume—sounded very relieved. "This young man—"

"Let me through, please!" Lee wailed. "It's not_ fair!_"

"Lee, you will calm down _right now_," Tsunande barked in that sharp, commanding tone that she used a lot during divided arguments in her office. "And you will back the hell out of his face before I allow him to fight his way into the room." This was possibly addressed to the nurse that had stopped Lee's entrance and her stunned silence was expected. "Lee, I have to do an inspection of their progress now. It is _vital_ that I do this; if not, they could go into a relapse and die." Silence from the others beyond the door. "After this hour-long inspection, visiting hours will be over for the afternoon. I'm sorry."

"…is she alright, Tsunande-sama? Can you at least _tell _me she's alright?"

"I'm sure she's fine. But please, Lee, I must go in there alone. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Then go home. And you can visit her first thing in the morning. Visiting hours start at nine a.m., all right?"

"Thank you."

"You're quite welcome."

And rapid footfalls announced his departure. There was a shifting noise just before the door was yanked open, and one did not need to be there to feel the unmasked disgust in the glare the hokage shot the nurse.

"You are dismissed," she said in a cold tone that must have made the nurse wonder if that order was for the day or for good. Then the door opened. Tsunande stepped into the room and looked at her three conscious patients: Sakura blushing, Naruto uneasy, and Sasuke unimpressed. "Well then," she grinned without any humor. "Welcome back, you three."


	5. Spring, 5

_**5**_

Tsunande started from the left, taking Sakura's head in her hands and pressing the tips of her fingers against either side if her head. The remnants of a blush made the older woman grin inwardly, and she closed her eyes to concentrate, slipping her "chakra fingers" into the girl's head and feeling around. There was plenty of exhaustion there, enough to warrant bed-rest for the next five days or so, and then, no rigorous missions after that for a while. She moved her hands and the 'feelers' down along Sakura's body, noting some slight wounding on her hands that had been bandaged and would probably leave tiny scars—they looked like sharp nail markings. After that, it was the typical starvation and dehydration symptoms she would find on all three of them. An IV was one thing to sustain you while you were in a comatose state, but without solid food and drink, the body became ravenous. She'd have to tell the nurses to be careful with tonight's food rations in here.

Naruto was next, almost getting punched instead of examined when he addressed her as "old hag". Some things never changed, even after a close brush with death. She took count of the injuries that were piled on top of one another: cuts and bruises _everywhere_; fractured and broken bones throughout his body sporadically, the majority of them in his chest area; a punctured lung; a dislocated hip and shoulder; and—by far the worst thing—his right arm was torn to shreds from the inside and out. Even the bones had little nicks and grooves in them. _The __Rasengan_, she concluded wearily, and then checked his healing progress. The bones had been set and the fractures all mended. The breaks were going to need—normally, three weeks—two full _days_ to heal completely. The lung was already stitched up, as were the cuts and the bruises were no longer existing. The arm… Even with Hinata's incredible job (for his successful healing rate was all owed to her, not the Kyuubi, for once) that would take some time. Months, maybe, for the whole thing to be normal again. She opened her mouth to tell him that it might never _be_ normal _ever_ again, but the look in his eyes when her gaze met his made her think twice. It was as if he already knew, and to have her speak it aloud would somehow solidify it and make it worse than it really was. So, instead of warning him about the use of his jitsu (of which he was oh-so-proud), she gave him a kiss on the forehead and told him he had done an excellent job. He grinned winningly at her.

Sasuke, her last charge, said and expressed nothing as she touched him, her fingers searching for the wounds. He kept his eyes on her face, which made her feel a trifle uneasy, and she couldn't help but thinking that somehow he _knew_ that. Her search was quick but thorough; for a face-off with Itach (Kakashi had told her everything—he had only been chakra-exhausted and had some cuts, and was fixed in five days time; Sai had only been in the hospital for two) he had done surprisingly well. Physically and emotionally strained and exhausted, but healthier than the other two. The only odd thing she noted was that his whole left arm from the neckline down to the fingers seemed…burnt, as if he had stuck it in an oven, set it for high, and left it in there. But that had been regenerated fairly well, and the only sign now that something had been wrong there was that the whole arm was overly-tender and even when touched with the chakra fingers, she knew it had hurt him, even though nothing passed between his eyes and his face. She drew back and as soon as she did so, his gaze once more returned disinterestedly to the ceiling. She stood.

"W-well…?" Sakura blurted out, a worried look glazing her eyes. But it wasn't herself she was worried about; she already knew her own condition.

"You and Naruto need huge amounts of bed-rest. I'm requesting five more days, to be safe."

"Five _days_?" Naruto sounded as if he had been sentenced to death. "What the hell am I going to do in here for five _days_?"

"Sasuke…I'm not too certain of. There's something about his arm…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "I'm requesting at least another five days for him as well. Why don't you three catch up or something?" She waved languidly over her shoulder at them as she turned and left through the door she came from, ignoring Naruto's outraged cry and Sakura's puzzled one. Though she had said the words in an airy tone, the notion of "catching up" left a thick ball of nerves clenching and unclenching in her stomach. She briefly thought they might kill one another in there, or that Sasuke might run away again. She hoped not. That would be very bad for the argument that she was trying to build for him… No, not for him, for Naruto.

The elevator doors slid open with a cheery _ding!_ and she looked up, blinking owlishly, caught off guard. A warm and familiar laugh filled her ears and her heart, but she fixed a scowl onto her face.

"What's so funny?" she snapped.

"You," Jiraiya held the elevator doors open for her. "Get in."

"Why are you here?" she stepped inside and the silver doors slid closed behind her with a soft _whoosh_ sound.

"I was gonna come visit the kid, but when I saw you coming with that serious look on your face, I figured visiting hours were over."

"You taught him that stupid Rasengan; you and that stupid student of yours."

"His arm again?"

She nodded.

"He'll get over it," her friend said dismissively.

"Don't you get it!" she cried, looking up avidly into his grinning face, and for one whole second, wanting to slap that stupid expression off. "His arm will never be the same again! And it'll get worse and worse the more he uses that thing!"

"He's not going to use it anymore."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because he finally got what he's been fighting for," Jiraiya answered, his smile slipping off his face. In a more serious tone, he added: "I taught him that move for only two reasons: one, he wanted to become stronger and save his friend; and two, his father eventually wanted him to learn it anyway."

Tsunande's face softened. "It's a dangerous jitsu," she said but without much conviction.

"I swear to you, he won't use it again," Jiraiya crossed his heart in such a solemn and serious manner, that it made her burst out laughing. The elevator hummed to a stop and the doors slid open. They stepped outside, Tsunande still laughing and Jiraiya looking pleased but confused. "What's so funny?" he asked her.

"N-nothing," she gasped between peals of laughter.

"You're lying again," he frowned, almost pouted, and for some reason that made her start laughing harder. She laughed until tears flowed from her eyes and when they stepped into the fading daylight her laughter turned into sobs and he held her tightly as they stood before the entrance of Konoha Memorial, and Tsunande cried.


	6. Spring, 6

Naruto reflected on the previous week.

As much as he and Sakura had tried, Sasuke had never again spoken a word to them besides that single admonishing statement: _"So, it's your fault."_ Naruto was still trying to puzzle out its meaning. There was one point in their lives where he and Sasuke could read each other's thoughts and actions and interpret them effortlessly. Now, that time was long-past them, and there was almost a five year gap they had to fill, although only Naruto seemed keen on rebuilding their friendship. But that was fine. He wasn't going to give up on Sasuke after all he'd been through just because the other man was giving his former teammates the "cold shoulder".

After the fifth day, Naruto was dying to leave. He was restless, and Sasuke's silence was only making him more antsy. There had been one night, not long before then, that Sasuke had gotten up from his bed and silently _glided_ to the window on the opposite end of the room. Naruto could _swear_ that he had glided across the polished tile floor, because he had certainly not heard any footsteps. Sasuke stood by the open window and looked out, the white moon illuminating his pale face, the hand that was uninjured resting stilly on the windowsill. He stayed like that for hours, and Naruto had to fight sleep in order to stay awake long enough to see if Sasuke would try to escape or not—and why would he? His brother was dead. There was nothing left for Sasuke to run away _for_. Regardless, he stayed up all night until he thought he was going to pass out from tiredness, and then Sasuke had glided back to his bed, lay down, and slept. Naruto followed right after him.

Now, as he changed out of the pale green hospital gown and into his familiar black and orange jumpsuit—careful of his right arm—he remembered this morning, the sixth day. Sixteen Anbu soldiers—_sixteen_—just suddenly appeared in the hospital room, making Sakura nearly scream with surprise and Naruto drop his breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast onto the blankets. They surrounded Sasuke's bed on all sides (except the headboard side, which was pressed against the white wall) and one of them stepped forward with a thick scroll in his hand. He unrolled it and began to recite, but Naruto privately believed the reading was a farce, and that the Anbu was merely reciting from memory, his eyes really looking at Uchiha Sasuke, as if waiting to see if he would attack someone.

"Uchiha Sasuke," the Anbu had said, "from this day henceforth, you will be placed under house arrest and watched closely by the present sixteen Anbu until your trial takes place April thirteenth of this year at one o'clock p.m. in the Konoha Grand Central Square. Your hearing will be presided over by the current hokage, Godaime Tsunande. If you have any questions, we will answer them for you to the best of our abilities. You are only allowed one visitor per day, for a maximum of three hours, starting as soon as you are inside your clan premises. Is this understood?"

Throughout the whole 'reading', the only thing Sasuke had done was sit up in his bed and listen, stone-faced. Sakura later confessed to me that she was so scared that she might accidently breathe too loud and that one of the Anbu would have killed her for it. I told her not to be silly, but at the moment, I had felt almost the exact same thing. When the leader had stopped talking, Sasuke merely nodded and got out of his bed. They allowed him to put his shoes on and then they were gone—seventeen blurs of hurried color and then that side of the room was empty, as if Sasuke had never been there at all.

Naruto was leaving the hospital this evening; Sakura had signed herself out that afternoon, promising to meet him later so that they could decide whether or not to start visiting Sasuke already, or wait for him to mention something to the Anbu assigned to watch over him. Naruto proposed they meet at Ichiraku. She had given him a look which plainly stated how dumb she thought the idea sounded. But he argued that he was hungry and could make better decisions on a full stomach, so they agreed nine p.m. at the ramen stand. It was seven fourty-five; there was a little time to kill.

He zipped up his jacket (not all the way, it was a warm spring evening after all) and strode casually out of the room, favoring his bad right arm slightly as he sauntered himself down to the elevator and pressed the call button. A few of the younger nurses smiled and waved at him as he walked past. Some of the older ones scowled. He didn't care, though. The happy _ding!_ of the elevator sounded its own arrival, and the doors slid open, revealing someone inside. Hyuuga Hinata leapt a foot into the air, at least.

"Naruto-kun!"

"Hinata!" he grinned broadly. "What's up? What are you doing here?"

"I… I came to… s-s-see…"

"You came to visit!" he said with unhidden glee. "That's so awesome! But I'm the only one left and I was just going downstairs to check myself out. You missed Sakura by a whole four hours."

"O-oh…" she clasped her hands together in front of her chest, her face tinged a dark pink. "Well, you need someone w-who oversaw your recovery to help you sign…"

"I do?" he looked at her, confused, as he stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the lobby floor. "That's weird. I know Sasuke didn't—well, they might have gotten someone to do it for him—but I'm not sure Sakura did…" he trailed off.

"Ino helped her check out," Hinata offered.

"Oh, I see!" Naruto grinned. "Ino was her medical nin, right?" Hinata nodded. "So, who was mine?"

"Well, I—" Hinata stopped herself, turning a darker shade, to red.

"Do you know?" he asked her.

"I… did."

"You did!" it came out more of a surprised statement than a question. "Wow, really?" She nodded, all but consumed by her redness. Naruto threw his arms around her shoulders and gave her a huge, gratified hug. "You saved my life!" he beamed. "You're so awesome, HInata!"

"It—it—it—" she hiccupped, turning darker and darker and darker with each noise that came out of her throat. The doors opened and Naruto squeezed her once more, running out into the lobby.

"You're the best, Hinata! You did an awesome job! Come on, let's sign me out!"

She had fainted.

* * *

"What was _that_ all about?" Naruto mused, balancing his chopsticks on his upper lip as he waited for the old man to put another helping of his dearly-missed food on the table in front of him. Sakura—who had politely declined Naruto's offer of a bowl—rolled her eyes and said, with a mixture of exasperation and pity:

"She _likes_ you, Naruto."

"I like her too," he gave her a confused look, "but I don't go fainting in elevators."

Sakura refrained from saying one of the many insults that had popped into her head, and instead, leaned over to look directly into Naruto's blue eyes. "No," she shook her head, pronouncing slowly, as if speaking to a child. "She _really likes you_, Naruto. God only knows why, but she does."

"What? You mean _like_ like? Or just…" he stopped when he saw the impatience flaring in the girl's eyes. "So, she has a crush on me?"

"It's a little more than that," the pink-haired girl mumbled to herself, then, so that Naruto could hear her: "Yes, a crush."

"Huh," he said, impressed. When the steaming bowl was set in front of him, he hesitated for a moment. "I don't suppose… Nah."

"What?" Sakura prodded.

"Her family would probably have a thousand cows if the Nine-Tails asked their only heir on a date."

Sakura inwardly winced at Naruto referring to himself that way. It made her feel uncomfortable and nervous (Naruto himself didn't make her feel that way—the assimilation of their two identities did). "Wrong. There's her younger sister Hanabi, remember?" she pointed out. "And anyway, I don't think she'd care what her family said, as long as you were paying attention to her." Naruto had no response, but that was mainly because he had started eating his third helping of ramen. Sakura waited until he was lifting the bowl to his lips to slurp up the broth and noodle remnants when she cleared her throat and got to the subject of their little 'meeting'. "Hey, Naruto, about Sasuke…"

The bowl was put down (nearly dropped, actually) with an audible _clink-thunk_ that made the old man turn and raise an eyebrow at them. Naruto grinned disarmingly at the old man then turned to Sakura conversationally, but she saw the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes and thought that perhaps, she should have waited for him to bring it up instead. Naruto licked his lips, as if trying to buy time for his answer, then shook his head and shrugged. Sakura saw that the uncertain look was gone from his eyes.

"He doesn't seem too keen on rebuilding friendships, does he?" he smirked and Sakura felt her heart throb painfully in her chest. _Oh, Naruto…_ "Maybe I should go there today and tell him what we're planning on doing, so that you don't feel unwelcome if you go first. I'm used to him being a bastard; this is nothing new."

Sakura felt the familiar warmth tingling within her and the warmth spread up to her eyes, making them burn and cloud over. Naruto suddenly pretended to be interested in the floor, and the feeling overwhelmed her: it was—she had finally come to realize and accept—her love for Naruto. He was like a big brother to her, always watching out for her and promising her things and helping and protecting her (and, of course, annoying her, but that was what big brothers did she supposed). Sakura was an only child and Naruto had filled up that loneliness in her life, so yes, she loved him like a sister would love a brother. Sniffling and trying to hold back the tears, she smiled.

"Okay. You visit him today and let me know how it went in the morning, okay?"

"Today?" Naruto looked up (still giving her time to collect herself). "But it's already going on ten thirty."

"Do you really think he's sleeping, after all that time in the hospital?" she laughed and his grimace that showed his disgust at the mere thought of just sitting around doing _nothing_ made her feel a lot better.

"Knowing him, he's probably training." _At least, I think he is._

"Tell him I'll bring him lunch tomorrow, okay? It's a pity he can't have more than one visitor at a time; the three of us could have had a picnic in his backyard, maybe."

"I'll tell him. Do you want me to walk you home first?"

She smiled, not unkindly, with a motherly sort of patience. "I'm a big girl, Naruto, but thank you anyway."

He watched her turn and walk up the street, wrapping her cloak tight about herself to keep out the last of the dying winter's chill. Spring had already come to Konoha, but there were still some nights that seemed like December rather than March. Then, turning on his heel, he mentally began preparing himself with his first real encounter with Sasuke since the rescue.


	7. Spring, 7

7

Naruto only saw two of the Anbu guards flanking the main gates to the Uchiha premises, but he knew that he didn't see the others because they didn't _want_ to be seen. They were damn good at blending despite the conspicuous white armor they wore. It was a sign of rank and hard work, and in Konoha there were none better than the Anbu.

Except the hokage, of course.

Thinking these things as he drew toward the gates, he tried to challenge himself a bit: could he, at his current level of skill, find all the hiding Anbu? He chuckled briefly at that thought—associating the question with games he had played as a child. _Can you find all the hidden ((insert object here))? _Gamely, his eyes began to roam.

There were the two at the gates, of course, and one was in that slowly-blooming tree coming up on his left. Three crouching up along the west wall of the Uchiha residence, and two on the east (near the tree). That was eight. Not bad. The others were quite possibly hiding within the large clan residence…or Naruto just really couldn't see them yet. Oh well, in due time.

The two gate guards didn't move an inch, but Naruto heard two katanas click open ever-so-softly.

"State your business," one commanded in a deceptively languid tone.

"I've come to visit Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto answered, even though it was kind of obvious. _There really _is_ no other reason to be here, you know. _But he knew that wasn't necessarily true. Assassins from the renegade Sound nins, or even from the Leaf themselves could pose some sort of threat. Naruto snorted to himself at that: _Yeah, the day some ordinary ninja gets the jump on that moody bastard is the day I confess my love to Neji._

"Name?" the same one asked, and then the second one held up a hand to wave off the question.

"You're Uzumaki Naruto, right?" he asked.

Naruto visibly puffed. "You've heard of me, I see!"

"In a way." The Anbu jerked his thumb back, in the direction of the clan houses. "Uchiha told us he'd be getting a visit from you tonight."

"Huh? He _did_?" Naruto was stunned. No, shocked. Hell, he was _thunderstruck_.

"Yeah. Go on in."

They stepped aside and the blond had to take a full minute to get the command from his brain to his feet. _Get moving!_ He shuffled—now uneasy—into the clan proper, his eyes still surprised wide from what the Anbu had told him. _Sasuke was…expecting me? _He didn't even bother to look for the other hiding ninjas, but he could feel their pressing gazes on him, watching all his moves. This being the first time he had been in Sasuke's home, a _clan_ home for that matter, he wasn't at all surprised when he stopped himself in the courtyard and wondered where to go. He looked around slowly, seeing the red outlines of ornate _uchiwa _fans spaced evenly across the stone walls, the unkempt look of the main yard and the homes themselves—shingles missing or in danger of falling, primarily—and the dusty, cobwebby, _unused_ look it held, like a forlorn creature who had been abandoned. Well, the Uchiha residence _had_ been abandoned now for several years. It was a wonder it looked in such good shape, actually. But he was still lost.

"In here," a voice beckoned from just ahead of him, and one of the wooden-framed paper doors (sporting holes in more than a few places) slid open to reveal Uchiha Sasuke in a soft, faded powder blue robe and house slippers. He gestured with his eyes more than his body, and Naruto didn't know he was moving forward like he had been commanded until he barked his shins on the wooden platform elevating the entire home slightly from the ground. Sasuke looked as if he were laughing without laughing at all. "Come on." He turned and slid into the dark inside, leaving Naruto at the steps to shake off his confusion and trepidation. Huffing (a quick way to get over something spooky—because that's what this visit was becoming—was to get upset), Naruto kicked off his shoes and mounted the two wooden steps into the main house, sliding the door closed behind him. A single pair of sandals was left in the foyer, and he slipped them on, scuffing his way into the living area where he found Sasuke sitting comfortably enough on a long, faded-looking sofa that had once been dark blue (and covered in crushed velvet to boot) and sipping something out of a ceramic tea cup. Naruto hung in the entranceway a little nervously, and when he did not immediately enter, Sasuke slowly lifted one elegant dark eyebrow and looked at the empty space on the sofa beside him. Feeling as if he were being tugged by invisible puppet strings, the blond moved himself across the room and plopped down on the sofa near the other man, kicking up a small puff of collected dust. He wrinkled his nose.

After a long and nearly deafening silence, questions swelled up inside Naruto's chest and threatened to burst out in a loud, shrill cry. He fought it: _Sasuke's gotta talk first. He's gotta start the conversation, or we're not going to get anywhere._ Sasuke continued to calmly sip his drink, as if waiting for Naruto to begin. They were going nowhere. The blond rolled his eyes and opened his mouth.

"I was pretty sure you'd come tonight."

He shut his mouth, blinking. Sasuke was looking at him now, really _looking_ at him, and Naruto was suddenly highly, uncomfortably aware of the situation. He tried desperately to suppress a blush. _What the fuck has gotten into you, Uzumaki? _He mentally smacked himself. _Don't be such a girl._

"Really?" he tried sounding gruff but it came out as a squeak.

Sasuke pointed half-heartedly across to a hallway that seemingly branched out in several directions. "Kitchen's over there. Get whatever you'd like."

Naruto only took a moment to handle the avoidance of the question. "You're still a bastard, I see," he said wryly, getting up and heading for the kitchen.

"I'm not your damn servant girl, Uzumaki. You're a big boy; get it yourself."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

But as he turned into the room and the wood gave way to off-white tile, he let himself smile, just a little.

_One step at a time is better than nothing at all._


	8. Spring, 8

8

The final tongues of winter cold had leaked away in the face of the brilliant spring warmth. Sometimes, when his former teammates paid him their daily visits, they would sit outside for the designated three hours. And while Sakura preferred to come during the late mornings and lunches, Naruto would visit him at all hours of the evening. He was secretly glad for both of their efforts, but there was something about the night that made him open up more, and Naruto just happened to be there. Which is how the subject of his home's restoration came to the surface.

"You're thinking of what?" Naruto stared at him with something that could be interpreted as incredulity.

"Do you think it's a bad idea?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, no," the blond admitted with a bright grin. "I actually think it's a great idea. I mean, you're going to be living here from now on and the depressing state this place is in isn't going to help your mood much."

Sasuke tried to feel offended, but found Naruto to be right, so instead, he shrugged. "I could start with the little things. Patching up the holes in the roof and whatnot. As for materials—"

"I could go out and get them for you!" Naruto was warming very quickly to the idea; he could see the excitement at the promise of physical labor growing in his eyes, and Sasuke felt the same. The idea had come to him because he really didn't like sitting around doing nothing all day long, and you could only train so many hours of the day without killing yourself. Besides, his arm hadn't healed yet.

Sasuke looked down briefly at his arm as Naruto kept talking: "—get the paper for the doors, and maybe new frames, but the one's you have are pretty decent—fixable—and I'm totally cutting your damn grass! It's way too long! Who knows how many creepy crawly things are lurking out there right now?"

"Afraid of bugs, _dobe_?" Sasuke smirked, snapping his attention away from the damaged limb.

"Fuck you," Naruto said crossly, but his look was one of amusement. "You can ask Sakura to help you with the inside stuff, like new tables and rugs—the ones you've got here are too worn."

_And some of them are ruined from the dried blood._ Sasuke thought idly. "I guess so."

"What? You don't want her to help?"

"She doesn't have to. It could just be us."

Naruto opened his mouth to comment and an inner voice mentally slapped him. _Alone! With Sasuke! This is the chance you've been waiting for, Naruto! To build your friendship again, he needs to trust you and _only_ you with certain things, and this is definitely it!_ "Ah…could be fun, just us," is what he said, and surprisingly, Sasuke rewarded him with a smile. A _smile_. It actually pulled up the corners of his mouth and made his eyes momentarily close, and it took Naruto's breath away.

"Just us is fine. I'll make a list of what we need tonight."

Naruto fought to get his voice sounding more or less as casually excited as it had been. "Sounds like a good idea." Another inner voice scoffed: _God, Naruto, you really _are_ a girl. _And then a thought struck him. "Um, Sasuke?"

"Hm?" the other man looked at him calmly enough.

_Here goes._ "What about… your trial?"

"What about it?" he didn't flinch.

Naruto hesitated. "I mean… don't you, like, have to prepare something… or something?"

Sasuke kept quiet for a few minutes, watching the blond get more and more fidgety as the time passed, inwardly smirking. _Honestly,_ he thought to himself, _I hadn't thought about anything like that._ "I don't know and I don't really care," he concluded with a shrug. "If I get to stay, good. If not, there's nothing that can be done about it." _Besides, everyone in this town has me condemned anyway._ He wisely didn't add that, knowing it would launch Naruto into one of his spectacularly loud and annoying rants. The blond looked slightly taken aback by his words, and he supposed that was understandable. But he also looked thoughtful, and he couldn't decipher why until the other man opened his mouth and spoke what was on his mind.

"I'll be with you."

They stared at each other.

"Er, what I meant," Naruto went on, his neck and face reddening slowly, "was that I'll testify. Or I'll defend you. I mean, whatever it is witnesses do," he waved a hand as he talked, trying to expel his nervousness that way. "I know why you left, and it wasn't because of anything the Leaf did—well, _probably _not anything—and I was there for the whole Orochimaru thing, so I know he was using you." Sasuke refrained from commenting: _In the end, it was myself that did the using._ "And you _did_ get rid of an S-Ranked renegade nin from the Leaf, so that must count as a good thing, right?" Sasuke once again kept his mouth shut. _Doesn't that imply that I'm more of a threat, then?_ "So, yeah. I'll go to trial with you. Yeah, I think that's what I'll do," Naruto finished simply, the red finally gone and his usual, self-righteous nature back and firmly in place. Sasuke opened his mouth to tell Naruto it was a bad idea—that he would only make things worse—but what came out was:

"I might ruin your reputation. A convict friend doesn't look good on a shinobi's record."

Naruto blinked, not from the possible threat to his life-long dream, but that Sasuke had actually called him a friend. _He still sees us as friends… I'm still his friend, and he's trying to protect me, just like before._ Then his mouth thinned out and his eyebrows drew together, giving him a stern look.

Sasuke was a little taken aback by the change in his facial expression. _Did I piss him off?_

"My reputation doesn't matter," Naruto said softly but clearly. "If I can't protect my closest friend or pass fair judgment over a matter like this, I'm not fit to be hokage anyway."

Another admittance of friendship. Sasuke smiled for the second time that night—it wasn't as full and consuming as the first because that had been a simple joy, and pleasures like that can only be measured in smiles—a gentle tilt of his lips and his black eyes warming to a dark amber: a younger-looking Sasuke, when the weight of the world hadn't seemingly been piled on his shoulders.

"Okay, Naruto," he agreed. "Will you help me?"

Naruto lost the harsh look and gave a slight smile to match the Uchiha's. "I would have done it, even if you hadn't asked me to."

"Hmph." Sasuke struggled to reign in his emotions with that sound. _Damn, Uchiha, you're getting soft._ But it was, after all, the end of everything that had been his old life. Didn't that mean he was finally allowed to become emotional after denying it all these years? A deeper, inner part of him said yes, it _was_ okay, but the mental defenses he had forged all his life were tougher to crack than just one night of openness. It would take time. _But Naruto will be there to help_, that little inner-deeper voice insisted. _You can learn from Naruto._ And he would. He would just never admit it out loud, and definitely not to the blond.

"Hey," the aforementioned one interrupted his thoughts.

"Hm?" he responded.

"…wanna train?"

"…sure."

"Taijitsu fine?"

"Shouldn't we train in areas which you _lack_?"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"Last one to the courtyard buys next night's dinner."

"Bastard!"

There were two nearly-identical flashes of movement and then the old Uchiha home sat empty and open to the night as sounds of fighting echoed up into the moon-lit sky.


	9. Spring, 9

9

It wasn't as intimidating as either of them imagined it to be. While Sasuke's idea was a little closer to the truth, Naruto had imagined the two of them standing alone as thousands of spectators buzzed rumors and predictions back and forth and a grand high council of some sort sat far overhead led by the Old Hag, who wore elaborate ceremonial robes and had an old-fashioned paper fan (an _uchiwa_, ha-ha-ha) clenched in one hand. Instead, they were escorted by Sasuke's Anbu guards to the Center Square Hokage Tower and up several flights of marble stairs—past other shinobi and message runners scuttling back and forth, busy and paying the strange procession no more than a single curious glance—and to a set of twin wooden double doors embossed with the seal of the Fire Country. The Anbu waited out here, six on either side of the doors, and Naruto and Sasuke pushed one of them open and went inside.

Tsunande was sitting at her desk, dressed as she normally would (the profound look of relief on Naruto's face made Sasuke wonder what the hell he'd been expecting), her fingers laced together and her chin resting atop them, her eyes neither inviting nor cold, just neutral. Seated just to her left at a long table that ran the width of the room were several men and women in indistinguishing robes, also looking fairly neutral. Although, some were staring at Sasuke with mixed looks of disgust and wonder. Some were even looking at Naruto, albeit curiously.

Tsunande took Naruto's unannounced presence in stride. "Have a seat, please."

They both looked around, saw the two chairs set directly across from the long table (apparently, Tsunande had been _expecting_ Naruto to show) and sat in them, Naruto in the one closer to the door. He could sense the Anbu sitting in wait out there, listening for the slightest disturbance, ready to burst in and kill Sasuke at a moments notice. He really hoped this trial thing didn't come to that.

"Um…" Naruto cleared his throat.

"Let's begin then," Tsunande drew herself up, glancing down at an open file on her desk. Naruto would bet a year's worth of free ramen it was Sasuke's personal file. "Uchiha Sasuke, you left the Hidden Village of the Leaf exactly four years, eleven months, and three days ago today. Is this correct according to your own understanding?"

"Yes," he answered un-hesitantly. Naruto wished he felt as confident as Sasuke sounded. All these stern old people were making him fidgety.

"Very good," she gave no indication if his answer really had pleased her. She continued in that neutral tone: "You used to be part of a three-man cell headed by one Hatake Kakashi, correct?"

"Yes."

"Who were your teammates?"

Naruto wanted to scream at her. _WE KNOW ALL OF THIS ALREADY! KEEP MOVING! _He wasn't sure if it was Sasuke's calm demeanor or his own sense that kept him quiet ant rooted to his chair. But he still fidgeted.

"Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto."

"When did you graduate from the Ninja Academy and become part of this team?"

"About seven years ago, when I was twelve."

She nodded. "So you left Konoha in your fifteenth year?"

"Yes."

Tsunande paused, glancing down at his record sheet once more. Naruto's darting eyes shot to the people at the table, who now looked as impassive as the faces on Hokage Mountain. He ground his teeth together, feeling the huge urge to start talking but not wanting to mess things up anymore than they already were. _You're here to help him, not fuck up the situation. Calm down, Naruto!_

"Why did you feel it was necessary to leave the Hidden Village?" she asked and Naruto silently held his breath, waiting. He knew the answer, but to hear Sasuke actually admit it aloud to a roomful of strangers was something totally different. If he didn't know Sasuke any better, he wouldn't have recognized the slight shift of body weight and clearing of the throat for what it was: suppressed impatience.

"I desired power in order to slay my last-living relative, Uchiha Itachi."

"Again, why did you feel it prudent to leave Konoha?"

_Old Hag, don't push him_, Naruto flinched inwardly, but he knew—and he was sure Sasuke knew as well—that it had to be done. And in a sudden moment of clarity, he realized that Tsunande knew it as well. She was laying it on thick, stretching him to the limits of his patience, poking and prodding in all the wrong places so that the other witnesses (the jury or whatever, he supposed) had nothing to pin on him. She was trying her hardest to clear Sasuke's name.

Maybe for one day, he didn't _have_ to address her as Old Hag.

"As I already said," Sasuke answered her, raising one of his dark eyebrows ever-so slightly, "I wished for the power to kill my own brother, and I was offered a chance to obtain that power from someone." Naruto visibly flinched this time. "So I left Konoha to train under him and when I felt I was ready to take on my brother, I left him as well." A pause. "I killed him."

Naruto could see Tsunande flinch this time. She continued the questioning: "Who was it that you followed?"

He could feel Sasuke seething annoyance. _Please, Sasuke, just answer the damn questions_, Naruto thought.

He did. "Orochimaru."

The people at the long desk turned their heads toward one another and whispered behind their hands. Tsunande and Sasuke both gave them equal glares of disgust and Naruto hand to jam a fist into his mouth to keep from bursting out into laughter. The Godaime didn't let their talk reel out; she pulled the interrogation back on track almost instantly.

"And how long did you train under Orochimaru before you killed him?" Naruto supposed he was the only one who heard the catch in her voice at the last part of the question. No matter how evil he really had been, at one point in their lives, Tsunande and Orochimaru had been teammates just like Sasuke and himself.

"Roughly three years," Sasuke waved a hand, as if the time spent under Orochimaru's wing were nothing too important. "Enough for his body-transfer jitsu to re-establish itself."

With obvious interest: "Did he attempt to use this jitsu on you?"

"Yes."

More hurried whispers.

"And you killed him before he could complete the ritual for the jitsu?"

"During. Yes."

Tsunande paused again, making a show of shuffling the papers in front of her to let this new information sink in. Finally, she looked up, glancing briefly at Naruto before turning her attention back to the other man. "So, you left Orochimaru's stronghold and ventured off on your own to…"

"Kill Uchiha Itachi."

"Yes," she nodded. "You enlisted the help of three other renegade shinobi, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Their names?"

"Houzuki Suigetsu of the Mist—Momichi Zabuza's most-talented student; Karin of the Sound—retainer of one of the underground prisons Orochimaru used to house test subjects; and Juugo of Tenpin—the origin of the Cursed Seal that Orochimaru siphoned and distributed to several subjects… including myself."

The chatter from the long table reached a new volume. Sasuke stared at Tsunande impassively, but Naruto could feel him slightly trembling beside him. It was driving him nuts, having to think and talk about all he had done. He might snap soon. Naruto hoped not, for Sasuke's own sake.

"And you took these three to face Uchiha Itachi?" Tsunande pressed.

"Yes," Sasuke answered.

"Yet, at the same time, I myself had dispatched two teams of four from the Leaf to find you," she summarized. "They followed Itachi's trail, and this led you all to meet, is that correct?"

"Yes."

Her hazel eyes shifted and stopped on Naruto. "Uzumaki Naruto."


	10. Spring, 10

10

"Y-yes," he sat up straighter. It was his turn now.

"According to Uchiha Sasuke, you two have been teammates for seven years: three years officially and four unofficially. Is this correct?"

"Um, yeah, I guess so," he glanced at Sasuke. He didn't look back. Naruto gulped quietly and took a deep breath, trying to calm his clamoring nerves. "Yes, seven years."

"You were assigned to one of the two teams that left Konoha four months ago, intended to locate both Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke, yes?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I was with Sakura, Sai, and Yamato-sensei. The second team was Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Kakashi-sensei."

"How did you manage to track down Uchiha Sasuke?" At this, Sasuke actually turned to look at him. _How _did_ they find me?_

"Ah, Kakashi-sensei summoned his K-9 unit and we split up into even smaller groups to spread out and try and catch his scent. While Sakura narrowed it down to one of Sasuke's new team members—the girl, Karin, I think—myself, Hinata, and Yamato-sensei ran into Yakushi Kabuto." Sasuke was genuinely shocked. _Kabuto?_ "He had been there when Sasuke and Orochimaru had their final fight, and he got hit with some of the backlash, giving him some of Orochimaru's leftover powers. He said he owed me—the Leaf—something for what he had done, so he gave us a book that had lots of useful information on the Akatsuki, like their ranks and a generalized location of their hideout. We followed it and Sasuke to a place near the Nerutral Grounds, where we confronted Itachi as well as a few Akatsuki members."

"The Neutral Grounds, as in the wastelands located in the center of the Four Countries?"

"Yes."

"And you fought Akatsuki there?"

"Well, there were only three members there besides Itachi—a shark-guy named Kisame, a weird-looking guy with a Venus Flytrap for a head—" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "—and this other guy that was supposedly their leader."

"Can you give me a brief summary of what happened?" Tsunande raised an eyebrow, emphasizing the word _brief_.

"Um… The three-man team Sasuke had made were all taken out by Venus-Flytrap-Head and the leader after they helped Sasuke defeat Itachi—"

"So, Itachi is dead?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "I didn't see the fight for myself, but we had to face off with Venus-Flytrap-Head and Kisame, and I got stuck fighting that crazy leader of theirs."

"Casualties?"

"Sasuke's team all died," Naruto looked over at him apologetically. "Itachi, Kisame, Venus-Flytrap-Head, and Leader Person."

"Deidara and Tobi as well," Sasuke added.

"Thanks to Hinata and Sakura, the Leaf didn't have any casualties," Naruto concluded.

Tsunande looked down at her papers for what seemed like a long time. Finally, she lifted her head, her eyebrows drawn together and her face frowning. "After Itachi and Akatsuki's defeat, how did you get home?"

"Well, Yamato-sensei went to the Akatsuki headquarters with Hinata, Shino, and Kiba to seal up all those _jinkurichi_ spirits they'd collected so far. Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Sasuke, Sai, and myself came back here. I carried him," he gestured to Sasuke, "and Kakashi-sensei carried Sakura. Sai managed on his own."

"You are aware that Yamato-san and the rest of his team have arrived back in town safely?"

"Yeah, I heard," Naruto grinned. "That's good."

"I have one more question, Naruto, and then I'll need to ask you both to step outside and allow us to hold a conference over Sasuke's verdict."

"Shoot," he tried to smile.

"…When Sasuke decided to leave Konoha in pursuit of power, he became a renegade, as I'm sure you know," she said with a trace of sympathy. "When you went after him, it was perceived that his return was forced, but Sasuke has stated that he came back willingly. Did you ask him if he wanted to come back to Konoha, or did you merely assume and carry him back here?"

Naruto blanched. He looked at Sasuke and Sasuke looked at him. Then he glanced back at Tsunande to make sure he was hearing things right. "Why did I bring him back, is that what you're asking?"

"_Did_ you bring him back, or did he come willingly?" she pressed.

"He came because he wanted to, of course," Naruto looked offended, actually. "If I had gone up to Sasuke after that battle and he had said 'get out of my face', do you think we'd be here right now? I mean, of _course_ he told me to leave him alone, but that's just how Sasuke _is_; he wants _everyone_ to leave him alone. Sasuke will tell anyone who will listen that he has two plans for his life: to kill his brother and to restore his clan. Seeing as his brother's dead, where else is he going to go? Just sit out there in the wastelands and rot?"

"So, did you _convince_ him to come back?" Tsunande accented.

"Yes, I did!" Naruto was getting angry. "There was no use for him to be away from here anymore, and when I pointed that out to him, he agreed and became willing to return here!"

"So, he did return of his own free will?"

"That's what I've been saying!" his patience was quickly fraying at the seams. "If he was just going to be a stubborn bastard and stay out there to rot, I still would have dragged him here, but _he's the one_ who said 'let's go home', so we did." At his phrasing, Sasuke blinked. _Did I really say that?_ He couldn't remember; it was all hazy and pain-filled.

"And so you carried him here because he _wanted_ to be come back here?"

"_Yes!_" his exasperation leaked out of him with that, and he slumped back in his chair, exhausted.

"Mm," she nodded her head, closing the file in front of her. "Alright. You two may step outside now. I'll call you back in when we reach a decision."

Sasuke stood but Naruto sat there, giving her a weak but intense glare as if sizing her up. Was she _really_ trying to help after all? Sasuke nudged his ankle with one foot and he rose heavily to his feet, and they both left the office—Sasuke doing his gliding thing and Naruto clomping along behind, very un-ninja like. The sixteen Anbu were still there, still standing at attention, and Naruto had the vaguely-amusing idea to poke one of them on the shoulder and see if they toppled over like dominoes. He did no poking, though, he merely plopped himself down on the waiting couch outside the office (which was much more comfortable than those damn wooden chairs they'd been sitting in before) and kicked out his legs, stretched his arms back and hooked his forearms behind the couch back, letting out a repressed sigh of mixed relief and fear. Sasuke merely sat down next to him, quiet. For a while, neither of them spoke.

"What's that Old Hag's problem?" Naruto mused aloud, closing his eyes and dropping his head back.

"…that went a lot smoother than it could have been," Sasuke shrugged.

"Yeah, right. It's like you were up for—er, nevermind."

"Murder?" Sasuke smirked.

"So what?" Naruto wrinkled his nose. "It's not like that anyway." A pause. "Hey, Sasuke? I'm sorry about talking about your team and your brother like that. You know, like…"

"Like they were dead? Naruto, they are," Sasuke gave him a weird look.

"I know, but, when the Old Hag asked me to be brief I just sounded like a heartless asshole, just rattling off all those deaths, you know?"

"She wanted the facts and you gave them to her. What more do you want?"

"I'm just saying. I don't know if those people became your comrades or not—"

"Nothing fancy like that," Sasuke sighed. "Just tools that wanted to be used, so I used them."

Naruto didn't have the energy to get offended. "They just followed you, right? You didn't force them or anything?"

"You know that's not really my style, Naruto," it was Sasuke's turn to not become offended. "I asked, they said yes, I told them what we were up against, and they still decided to come. It wasn't my fault they died." As an afterthought, he mumbled, "I knew Akatsuki was strong, but I didn't think they were _that_ strong."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, just thinking to myself."

"Oh," Naruto wanted to press but didn't. "Think it went okay in there?" he gestured at the double doors.

"It just _went_," Sasuke shrugged once more. "It's not as if we needed to make an impression on them, it just needed to be done."

"Right." Another silence. "I hope it went okay, though."

Sasuke tried not to show his grin. Whether it went "okay" or not was for Tsunande and the council members to decide (because Sasuke had placed their robes when Naruto didn't), and whatever the outcome, he was pretty sure _he'd_ be okay.

The worst was over, after all.


	11. Summer of Corruption, 1

**1**

Uzumaki Naruto landed on the next rooftop and shielded his eyes from the blazing sun. He could actually _see_ the heat waves rising up from the grounds of Konoha Village, and he spotted several figures trying to flee from the intense summer heat but managing nothing more than a half-hearted shuffle. Compared to the mild spring months, this angry summer swelter was both welcome and wished away. Being warm was one thing, but baking for roughly eight hours a day was not something to look forward to. Naruto frowned and looked down at the shopping bag in his hands; the ice cream had definitely melted by now. Oh well, so much for bringing Sasuke some.

"He's _got_ to have a fridge," he mumbled and leapt down into the alley beside the building he'd been crouched on. Blessed cool enveloped him in the shade and he sighed in relief, then took to the streets, melted ice cream in one hand. He wound his way throughout the threaded strands of shadow crisscrossing the paths he knew all-too well, nodding absentmindedly at the fellow villagers he passed. Shrill laughter and girlish screams rang out and his head lifted sluggishly (so _hot_) to look at Central Park. Several younger shinobi children chased each other back and forth with squirt-guns and water balloons. He imagined the water must be ice cold, to produce shrill girlish screams like that. Then he glanced up and back. It wouldn't be ice cold for long.

He passed the noisy children, a younger, more childish part of himself longing to jump in there, grab a water balloon, and start chucking. But Sakura had been specific: _"Naruto, Sasuke probably doesn't have anything like this in his house, and my mom made us too much. Take it to him, okay?" _There was threatening promise in her too-friendly smile. _"Make sure it gets there."_ He honestly didn't want to get punched today so he passed them by. He turned a couple of corners and began cresting the rise that led to the Uchiha property.

_One._ "Hey," Naruto nodded at the Anbu behind the tree, which had once been a skinny orange blossom thing and was now turning green and full. _Two, three._ He nodded to the ones blending against the wall. He walked into the premises. There were no more hiding guards here; they had been taken out after the trial two months back when Tsunande had announced the verdict, much to Sasuke's relief. _"Not that I was afraid of them or anything_,_"_ he had admitted. _"It's just that, with sixteen people always watching you, you never have any privacy."_

"Yo, Sasuke!" he called out to announce himself, kicking off his shoes as he reached the wooden steps and lifted himself onto the porch. "Got some ice cream here from Sakura for you." His guest slippers were waiting by the inside of the doorway so he stepped into them and shuffled into the cool dark house. Was the lazy bastard still sleeping? "Sasuke, you bastard! Are you still in bed? Get the hell up!" He glanced into the living room, the kitchen, and the bedroom with no luck. Where the hell _was_ he? "Sasuke? Where are you?" From room to room he scuffled, glancing in and not finding the dark-haired man in any of them. His bag was dripping a mix of melted ice cream and moisture along the wooden floor and he was very confused. Lastly he tried the back door, sliding the paper frame open (the _fixed_ paper frame) and looked outside. Sasuke was sitting there on the porch without a shirt on, fanning himself languidly with one hand. He looked up over his shoulder at Naruto's entrance.

"Oh," he blinked lazily, "it _was_ you."

"Why didn't you answer?" he said crossly, leaving his sandals in the house and stepping outside onto the porch beside him.

Sasuke shrugged. "I knew you'd find me eventually." Naruto didn't comment, but his eyes lingered momentarily on the headband Sasuke now wore which pushed his long bangs back out of his eyes. The Leaf Spiral that was stamped proudly in the shinny center was marred by one long, angry slash that he himself had made long ago. It was Sasuke's old headband, and part of his punishment. Naruto could remember listening to the conditions of Tsunande's decision and thinking that some sort of miracle must have happened while they were testifying, or that she had scared the other members of the council into a nicer sentencing.

_

* * *

"Sasuke will be allowed to stay in Konoha,"_ she had said, and the two of them had exhaled in relief. _"However, there are two conditions: one, he must always wear his old forehead protector."_

_"You mean the damaged one?" _Naruto was genuinely puzzled. _"Why not a new one?"_

_"The council doesn't want anyone forgetting that Sasuke was once a traitor. That was their condition."_

_"So what's _your_ condition?" _Sasuke asked.

* * *

"I only saw three Anbu on the way in," Naruto tried to make conversation. "She's taking them off you, little by little." 

"Hmph," Sasuke snorted. "Three. I wonder when they'll all realize that I'm not going anywhere?"

"Maybe you just need to give them a little more time to see," Naruto shrugged. "They don't know you like I do."

"No," Sasuke smirked, "they don't."

Later, Naruto would remember that he had ice cream in the plastic bag he'd been holding as they chatted idly about nothing, it being too hot to really get into an enthusiastic discussion of any kind. When Sasuke had discovered what it was, he'd rolled his eyes and led them into the kitchen, where he rummaged through his fridge and pulled out two bottles of soda pop (they were there at Naruto's insistence that all he had to drink at his house was tea). He poured them out in two tall glasses, got two spoons from a drawer, and took the melted mess from Naruto, holding it over the sink as it dripped wet stickiness all over his forearm. He discarded the bag, opened the carton, and spooned out two sizable globs of the stuff (vanilla) into the glasses where they plunged into the dark liquid and created huge wafts of cream-colored foam. Then he stuck the spoons in the concoctions and slid one over to Naruto as he tossed the remaining ice cream into the fridge.

The blond looked at him askance. "What the hell is this?"

"Ice cream Float," Sasuke stated simply, using his already-sticky hand to begin eating his treat. "It won't kill you."

Naruto eyed the glass. "Who the hell puts ice cream in soda?"

"A lot of people do," Sauske replied, noting to himself that it was way too hot to get annoyed. "Now eat it, or I will." When the blond still hesitated, Sasuke reached over with his spoon and grabbed some pop-slicked vanilla.

"Hey, that's mine!"

"You're not eating it," Sasuke tongued it into his mouth.

"I will!" Naruto shot back, grabbing the glass and downing it in one huge gulp. Sasuke held back his laughter and waited. Two seconds after he put the glass back on the table Naruto doubled over and groaned. "Oh, you sick bastard…!"

"Brain freeze sucks, doesn't it?"

"You were waiting for that…" Naruto panted, laying his head sideways on the table so he could glare half-heartedly at Sasuke while his poor brain reeled and tried clumsily to recover.

"…maybe," the dark-haired man answered with a grin.

* * *

_In these silences, something may rise._

_Blood, death, grief, strife, hate, fight fight fight._

_Soaked in blood and ripped with claws and silent screaming in his head._

_Run—cry—and scream—die—and let the poison engulf you slowly, torturously. Little. By. Little._

_"Sasuke…"_

_I killed you!_

_"Sasuke…"_

_You're supposed to be dead!_

_"Sasuke…"_

_Keep away from me!_

_Sinking deeper in the haze, reaching out without a cry but screaming, screaming soundlessly but scratching at a dry, parched throat: YOU SHOULD BE DEAD! But he's not and those blood eyes are __looking accusingly. "Too weak; you're far too weak. You don't have enough anger, enough passion, enough HATE—"_

_Maniacal laughter, far back in the distance, reaching his ears, driving him mad. Insane._

_YOU'RE DEAD YOU'RE DEAD YOU'RE DEAD YOU'RE—_

_"Learn to live with your hate, Sasuke. Learn to live…with me…"_

_"NO!"_

He awoke, clutching the bed sheets to his heaving chest, his bare torso covered in a thin sheen of cold sweat. A shiver spiraled out from the base of his spine and steadily climbed his back, so fierce in its intensity that it made his teeth click together. Blearily, he looked outside his room window to the low, yellow moon outside. It was full, and it looked as if it were glaring at him from the black socket of the sky. Sasuke tried to physically shake the nightmare from his mind, forcing his hands to unclench and let the thin top sheet fall into a pool on his lap. He took one deep breath. Two. He looked out the window again—the moon was still glaring at him. Abruptly, he threw himself back down to the mattress, turning his back to the window and shutting his eyes tightly.

_It's a dream. That's all it was: a dumbass dream. Nothing to get worked up over or to get scared about._

Or so he told himself.


	12. Summer, 2

2

Sakura nodded at the invisible Anbu directly beside the main gate and let herself in. "Hello?" she called out, peeking around the open area for a sign of either Sasuke or Naruto. When she saw or heard neither respond, she went inside and closed the gate behind her, crossing to the small circular plaza and looking around again. "Sasuke? Naruto? Are you guys here?" The woven picnic basket bounced against her knees as she started forward again, calling out to her friends. "I have sandwiches and some cold ice tea, guys. Come on out!" Her feet brought her to the front of the house where she switched her shoes for the guest slippers in the foyer and went straight for the kitchen. "Guys?" Then she started to hear noises from the back yard: _kink—thwack!—chink kink __kink__—whap!—clink __clink__—_

_Oh_, she rolled her eyes and wound her way over to the door leading to the back porch. _Skink!—__sshhhh__-kink!—whap! __whap__!—THUNK._ She winced at the last noise and pushed open the paper door, her eyes quickly moving to assess the damage. Sasuke and Naruto were crouched in their extremely-similar fighting stances, blood and sweat mixing together and sliding down their semi-clothed figures (it looked like strawberry kool-aid, she thought idly) from the little cuts peppering their bodies. Observing only this, Sakura assessed two things: the boys had been going at this fight for at least four hours non-stop, and Sasuke was winning. Upon her entrance, neither of them flinched or made any indication that they acknowledged her presence, but she knew they were aware of her so she spoke.

"I brought something to eat, if you're hungry," she stated simply, then turned and went back inside. She made her way back to the kitchen but could still hear the last frantic blows of the fight. _They must be hungry._ All she heard a few moments after that was: "OW! You son-of-a-whore!" Naruto had lost, then. By the time they brought their sweaty, bloodied selves to the kitchen she had already set up a meal for three, and had her travel med kit open and waiting. They simultaneously plopped down into chairs and said hello to her—Naruto's greeting, of course, being more amiable than Sasuke's—and started on their first sandwiches while she went to the sink to dampen a dishcloth so she could clean them off before she patched them up. Outwardly, she sighed, sounding like a mother with a deep and world-weary patience. Inwardly, she was smiling. _Things are just about back to normal._

When Sasuke had eaten two tuna sandwiches and slurped up half the iced tea, he excused himself to the bathroom so he could shower. Naruto waited until he heard the water running (or until he finished swallowing the remains of his third ham sandwich—either way, same amount of time) and then leaned over the table and beckoned Sakura closer.

"Psst! Sakura," he hissed in a conspiratorial whisper. "I think Sasuke's mad."

"Huh?" she was honestly confused. "But I thought you guys were just training!"

"Shh!" he glanced hurriedly over his shoulder, as if Sasuke were closing in from behind with a katana in hand and murder in his eyes. "I noticed while we were going at it. Sasuke's usually really good at keeping his strength in check while he's just messing around, you know?"

"What's the point?" she lowered her voice for his own sake, feeling rather dumb as she did so.

"He was hitting harder than normal today," Naruto paused, as if this statement held significance. "A lot harder."

"Naruto," she gave an exasperated sigh, "I don't see—"

"Some of those cuts he has were already there when I got here this morning."

She paused. "Was he attacked?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I think he was training by himself before I came along."

"When did you drop by?"

"Seven a.m."

"What!" she cried, then instantly lowered her voice (no longer feeling so foolish). "How long were you guys training?"

"It's one thirty now, right?" He counted backwards. "Six hours."

"So, Sasuke's been—" Sakura started, then abruptly jumped to her feet and raced out of the room. Naruto looked after her curiously.

"Sakura!"

She threw open his bedroom door and the sound of the rushing water got louder. For half a moment, as she crossed to the closed bathroom door, her face flushed at the realization of what she was about to do. Then her concern for him threw that to the wayside and she didn't even bother checking to see if he had locked it; she lifted one fist and _punched_ the bathroom door in. Sasuke automatically flashed into action and she didn't have more than two seconds to grab at the fist with the kunai flying at her head. She did so with one hand—_where the hell did he get the weapon from?—_and yanked the shower curtain back with the other.

"Sasuke!" she cried in an angry voice. Her eyes stayed riveted to his. He looked as if he couldn't believe she was doing this, but at the same time, wary of her meaning him harm. It was a very funny look, under totally different circumstances. She reached over (into the shower; one half of her clothing got soaked through) and snatched up his left arm, closing her eyes and "feeling" for his old wounds. From her quick inspection, she wasn't really surprised to discover that his chakra coils were nearly all depleted and exhausted. His arm—which had been healing right on scheduled—looked almost as bad as it had the first week at the hospital. When she touched him there, the shock of the situation allowed his pain to filter through, and he flinched. She made a disgusted face and pulled away from him. "I knew it," she shook her head. "What were you thinking?"

"What's going on?" Naruto's hesitant voice came from outside the bathroom.

Sasuke ignored him, locking his narrowing eyes on her. "I don't know what you're saying."

"Your arm, Sasuke!" she gestured at it angrily. "How do you expect it to heal when you keep on using the Chidori all the time!"

"You used it?" Naruto's confused voice came again. "He didn't use it while we were fighting, Sakura, I promise!"

"How long were you training before Naruto got here?" Sakura frowned. "You were doing it at seven thirty, I know that."

She saw his dark gaze momentarily flicker to one side, and she knew he was pinpointing Naruto beyond the wall and probably marking him for later abuse. "I couldn't sleep, so I tried to hone the Chidori instead."

"_All night?_" she nearly screeched.

"Whoa!" Naruto again. Sasuke shrugged. Sakura growled low in her throat and dragged him out of the shower, holding him up as he stumbled over the water-slicked side. With her other hand she yanked the towel off the wall and thrust it at him.

"Put it on," she said quietly and his narrow gaze widened slightly to one of uncertainty. He put the towel around his waist without argument and Sakura allowed him to turn off the running water before dragging him back out to the bedroom where Naruto was standing, jittering his leg up and down nervously. When he saw Sakura—looking royally pissed and dragging Sasuke relentlessly—he jumped and hunched over, pretending to be invisible. Sakura ignored him, pushing Sasuke down onto the bed and kneeling beside him. She closed her eyes and rested her two hands on his left arm, concentrating. A green glow began to swell from her fingertips, encompassed her hands, and her eyebrows drew together with effort as she healed him. His little cuts faded and he looked less-tired, but she frowned as she pulled back and opened her eyes. "I can't fix this. The injury is too spread to lock onto."

"Too spread?" Naruto repeated.

"It's like your arm, Naruto," she spoke but kept her eyes on Sasuke's arm, still frowning. "The injuries you sustain while using your Wind Rasengan are on a massive level—cellular and tissue damage. While wind chakra slices up your arm and deals its damage that way," the corners of her mouth pulled down tighter, "Sasuke's lightning attack continuously shocks and burns those cells and tissue, making them numb and eventually immobile." Her eyes rose to Sasuke's. "I can't heal the spread. You have to go back to the hospital and have Tsunande take a look at it to see what she can do."

Sasuke merely nodded.

Sakura rose to her feet, swaying a bit as her body rushed to replenish the depleted chakra. Then she turned and left the bedroom, speaking back over her shoulder: "You might not care, Sasuke, but I do. Go to the hospital, please. For my sake." With that, she left.


	13. Summer, 3

3

He had gone to the hospital that afternoon only because he knew he had hurt her, and wanted to make it up to her by taking her advice (where at one point in his life, he really wouldn't have cared what she or anyone else thought one way or another). Naruto walked with him to the large white building, looking as if he wanted to say something but either couldn't muster up the courage or didn't know the right words to express what he was thinking aloud. When they reached the glass doors they stopped and looked up at the tall building together.

Finally, he spoke: "I'm glad you're doing this."

"It's just a damn arm, Naruto," he snorted irritably (he hadn't slept at all last night, as Sakura had found out).

"No, not that," he waved off the injury. "What I meant was: I'm glad you listened to Sakura."

"Why?" he asked, slightly guarded. There were moments—ones like these—where Naruto suddenly became able to dive deeply into Sasuke's own subconscious and dredge up things that the dark-haired man would never admit to anyone other than himself.

"…because maybe it means we're finally getting through to you," he shrugged. "I don't know."

"Weird answer, Naruto."

"It's like," the blond frowned, "when you left, it was only us two searching for you. Even when you finally got your brother—" he looked over at Sasuke apologetically. "—we still had to convince you to come back with us. Remember? We were arguing about it nearly the whole way back."

Sasuke nodded. "Point?"

"You're trying to reach us now," he finished after a pause. "It's not one-sided anymore, and I kind of like that." He glanced over again, and Sasuke could have sworn that it wasn't the late afternoon sun that was making Naruto's face that strange color red. "Of course, you're still a bastard and that will never change." Naruto clapped him once on the shoulder of his good arm. "That's okay too. I mean, if you suddenly started spouting hearts and rainbows and fuzzy happy things, I'd have to wonder about your sanity, man."

"Don't worry," Sasuke actually grinned, "You're annoying enough for the both of us."

"Asshole," Naruto turned away, grinning as well. "I'll see you later."

"Later."

As Sasuke stepped through the sliding glass doors and the much-welcomed air conditioning cooled his skin, he realized faintly that his bad mood had lifted.

* * *

"Explain this to me again," Tsunande spoke wearily, touching two fingers to the center of her forehead and shutting her eyes as if trying to deny what she just heard.

"I was training," Sasuke talked to her as if talking to a small child, "and pushed myself too hard. Sakura checked my arm and told me to come here."

"Well, I'm certainly glad she did that rather than kill herself trying to heal you," the hokage turned her face up to his, her brown eyes glaring. "However, I'm almost positive that when I fix you up and send you home to rest, you _won't_ rest, you'll just end up doing this again." She looked down at his arm as if she were angry at it. Sasuke told himself to stop thinking such strange things, and immediately after told himself to stop talking to himself. _I think I really am crazy_, he grinned with no amusement. Tsunande probably thought he was grinning at _her_, so she glared harder at _him_ and spoke with a little of an edge to her voice: "I've decided to put your arm in a cast so it'll actually _heal_. The process won't take any more than two hours—"

"Wait, what?" he shook himself out of his mental loophole. "A _cast_?"

"Yes, a _cast_," she replied a bit mockingly. "It will go from your bicep to the ball of your hand, and you will wear it for exactly one month to ensure your arm fully recovers."

"But—!" he sputtered.

"Don't want to hear it," she interrupted him, rising and heading for the door. "I'm calling in a medical assistant to make the preparations and apply the cast. She'll be in within a few minutes." Tsunande left. Sasuke gawked after her for what couldn't have been more than five seconds but felt like an eternity. Then the shocked look slipped—_dropped_—from his face and something much more dark and sinister replaced it. This was also for only a handful of seconds, but for the time it was there, it somehow felt _right_, safer and more secure. Familiar.

_They're treating you like a convict and a child_, a voice, slithering along his thoughts and feelings like a cold touch of breath. Or scales. _You could take care of _her_ no problem. Who is she, to talk to the head of the Uchiha clan like that? Use your power—don't push it aside, embrace it! They'll fall before you and beg for mercy for treating you like this._ He slapped the eerie thoughts aside: _Head of the Uchihas? _Last_ is more accurate. _What had _that_ been all about? A sharp rapping on the door yanked him out of his musings and he looked up as the nurse entered.

"Sasuke," Yamanaka Ino smiled as she held the door open for him. "Tsunande told me your arm's in a bad state. Don't worry about a thing—I'll be really gentle."

That weird feeling inside him swelled up suddenly and he wanted to rip that smile off her face with his claws—

"Alright," he stood, physically trying to distance himself from those thoughts. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ He followed her out into the hallway.

* * *

"What's it like?" Naruto stared at the large white thing on his arm with mild awe.

"Itches like a bastard," Sasuke scrunched his nose and tried to glare the cast off.

"Regardless, it has to stay on," Sakura stated primly, rising from the chair by his bed. "But I am glad you went to get it done, Sasuke."

"You knew they were going to put this thing on me, didn't you?" he asked her sourly.

She didn't answer him, just smiled lightly. "Feel better, Sasuke. I'll be by tomorrow to check on you, alright? See you both later." She left. Sasuke glared after her until he heard the front door shut and he sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall.

"So, no training, huh?" Naruto asked, sounding disappointed.

"Does it look like I could chuck a kunai with this thing?" Sasuke's bad mood had returned with a vengeance.

The blond looked hurt. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he snapped back bitterly.

"Come on, Sasuke, you can tell me. I won't laugh."

"It's nothing, Naruto. Leave it alone."

"But—"

"I said: _leave it alone!_"

Naruto's open face flinched and drew in, becoming impassive. "Fine," he shrugged. "Forget I asked." He stood up. "I guess I'll leave you alone too. See you tomorrow." Sasuke opened his mouth to stop the other man, then closed it again and watched him leave the room. _It's good that they left_, he told himself. _I'm…not myself anyway._ The voice that was coming into his head more and more frequently was actually kind of scaring him. It was best that they left him alone until the voice went away. Yes, that was best. _I'm used to being alone, anyway. All I need is some rest, that's all…_


	14. Summer, 4

**Notes: **I'm a bad writer. Yes, bad writer, is I. I'm so wretched, not completing my stories and keeping people waiting for half an eternity (for those who care to read my jumble of words strung together in a coherent pattern). Well, no more! So, I'll ask you to excuse me as I have several unfinished stories to rethink and create. One other—being a Naruto AU—and this one coming first and foremost. I'm going to become very confused soon; I can feel it.

* * *

He tried to will the wretched white thing away. It would not go. He glared at it, cursed at it, and at one point stabbed it with a pair of wooden chopsticks. Still the cast stayed and his arm itched like a mad thing. It was unbelievable how he could come to hate something inanimate with such intensity. The rising occurrence of violent nightmares did not help his mood either.

Uchiha Sasuke tried not to think of the dream that had become worse each time he had slept. It was like it was waiting for him just beyond the blackness of his closed lids and when he slipped into sleep it sprang upon him like a ravenous beast and would not release him easily. When he did struggle himself awake from them, sweaty and trembling, he would then run to the bathroom and throw up everything he had eaten earlier that very evening. The stench and stain of the blood in his night terrors even followed him into the waking world. He shuddered at the thought of it and mentally shoved it aside, giving a small grunt. Haruno Sakura—who had been sitting on the desk facing the room's window and gazing out—looked over at him with a mixture of worry and puzzlement. Sasuke pretended he didn't notice and went back to doing what he did best: brooding.

A slight noise told him she had slid herself off the desk and he faintly heard the pad of her bare footsteps as she approached him. "Sasuke…" she spoke softly and he again pretended he didn't notice her. He wasn't in the mood to hear it. "Sasuke, I'm sorry I tricked you into getting the cast, but," she began to speak faster, "I was only worried about you! You never really used to care about your own health, and now this injury is a thousand times worse than any broken bone or gash you've ever had! If you don't take care of it now, your arm will become useless, just like your—" And with that she clapped both of her hands over her mouth as her eyes widened with the realization of what she was about to say. Sasuke realized it at the same time and lunged out of his chair toward her, his good hand clamping around her upper arm.

"Like what?" he shook her roughly. "Like who? Say it!"

She shook her head quickly from side to side, denying it. "No! I didn't mean anything by it! I'm just worried, that's what I—"

With a furious cry he shoved her across the room. Sakura's arms pinwheeled for balance as she stumbled foot over foot, trying to right herself. He was right behind her, screaming something, but he couldn't make out what it was because the voice, the _thing_, was with him again: _Get her! Shut her up! Who does she think she's talking to, comparing you to a dead man? Tell her! Show her the difference __between a live Uchiha and a dead one!_ He saw she was crying. Sobbing and shaking all over, she crouched back against the opposite wall and watched him approach. He could feel his pulse throbbing in his temples, the chords standing out in his neck, his fingers on both hands flexing in rhythm as his unhindered arm came up and his fingers snaked around her throat and locked tight. Silent tears poured down her face as she reached up and tried to pry his hand off and her face steadily went from red to purple to blue. _Kill her!_ The voice shrieked in triumph. _Show her the power of your wrath! Kill her! KILL—_**WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!**

With a strangled gasp Sasuke dropped his hand from her throat and backed away hurriedly, almost tripping over himself in his rush. Sakura slumped against the wall and began to cough fitfully. He could see red spatters of blood flying from her mouth

* * *

_The Sharingan: blood red. The blood of a proud clan. A blood-drenched history. Severed ties within that history. Power lost and gained in the most corrupt of ways._

You need me, Sasuke.

_Death of the clan. Death of the family. Death of the emotions. To feel was to lose this battle; they weren't his rules, but they were the rules that the game of revenge must be played by. Not set by him, but by his brother: Uchiha Itachi._

You need me, Sasuke, because

_Itachi is dead, killed by his own blood-soaked hand. Now it was his turn—his duty—to carry out the curse of the Uchiha Clan. The blood-seekers, the death-bringers, those hardened to ice by their pasts. And now he needed all the power he could gather to face the world alone. Not with friends, but alone, like Itachi had shown him…_

I'm you.

* * *

"Sasuke…why…?" she gulped in a lungful of air and then coughed it out again. He abruptly turned away from her, his shoulders beginning to shake noticeably.

"Get out of here, Sakura," he said.

"But…I don't…understand…" she wheezed, using the wall to keep herself standing. "Sasuke, why…did you…?"

"I said get_ out of here!_ Do you need me to spell it out for you? _Don't ever come near me again!_" He took a deep breath, his shoulders almost vibrating with suppression. "_I HATE YOU!_"

They stood that way for an endless minute, Sakura's chest heaving as she stared at his back, his shaking shoulders. She slowly began to slide away from him, toward the door. She fell over by the doorway, landing hard and then using her hands and feet to push herself away from him. He did not look back at her. He heard as she clambered unsteadily to her shaky feet and ran from the house, beginning to sob as she increased the distance between them. Sasuke finally fell to his knees, his chest hitching as he silently cried, his shoulders continuing to shake, suppressing the urge to wail aloud. He would wait for her to be far away.

"Sakura…" he sighed her name with a weak shudder. "I'm sorry…"

* * *

He'd noticed that Hyuuga Neji wasn't paying attention, but that didn't stop him from throwing the devastating punch. As luck would have it though, Neji saw the wrapped fist coming toward his face just fine and did his signature counter.

"_Kaiten!_"

"Dammit!" Rock Lee recovered quickly enough, crouching into his fighting stance, but instantly relaxed when he saw Neji was no longer participating in their practice spar. Things had been that way as of late, although he couldn't explain why: Neji just always seemed distracted by something.

"What's wrong, Neji?" TenTen—who had been sitting on a tree branch, watching them—leapt down nimbly and approached her teammates. Neji inclined his head slightly to the left, signifying that he wasn't sure.

"…I've been sensing a strange chakra lately," he told them, tilting his head in the opposite direction as his brow creased in a frown.

"What? Like a foreigner's or something?" TenTen guessed and Neji shook his head negatively once more.

"It's familiar, but I can't place it."

"I guess that means training is over for the afternoon, huh?" Lee sighed.

"I can't concentrate," Neji shook his head again. "It's like the chakra totally disappears, then just randomly flares up again. It's very distracting."

"Mood-dependant chakra?" TenTen made another guess.

"I don't know anyone in the Leaf with that kind of ability," Neji continued to frown. "Except Uzumaki Naruto, but it isn't his."

"If neither of you mind, I'm going to go home," Lee broke into the discussion again.

"Aren't you concerned about this?" TenTen scolded.

"No," he shook his head, "and neither should you two be. It has nothing to do with us. If we're going to become this easily-distracted during a training session, then we have a bit more to learn, I think."

For that, TenTen had no reply. Neji gave an approving look at his teammate. "Sorry, Lee. If you give me until tomorrow, I could find a way to block random chakra patterns from the Byakugan. Then we can spar properly."

"I'll be waiting," Lee smiled back and turned, falling into a jog as he headed back toward the city. He thought about what they had been discussing as he ran. Despite Neji saying it hadn't been Uzumaki Naruto's chakra he'd sensed, Lee still somehow felt the blond was involved in some way. It was the same type of angry chakra from what Neji had implied; a dark chakra. And dark people seemed to surround Naruto almost constantly. Like Uchiha Sasuke, for example…

Lee slowed when he saw a familiar figure leaning against one of the blossom trees lining the city entranceway. Her short pink hair covered the majority of her face, and she seemed to be limping, which blew all his other thoughts aside.

"Sakura?" he called. She looked up at his voice and he was shocked at what he saw: she was crying, and she had a large purplish-brown handprint smudge covering her neck. "What happened to you!" he rushed over to her. She shook her head quickly, turning away from him as she winced in pain, and she instantly began to struggle toward the path. He reached her easily and caught her up in his arms, restraining her, "Sakura, who did this to you?" She shook her head, more tears spilling onto his arm where he held her across the shoulders. In the arm around her stomach, he could feel her wheezing and her sobbing. None of her usual fiery strength remained; she felt like a fragile baby bird in his arms. "Tell me!" he pleaded with her.

"Naruto…" she gasped and broke into a fit of coughing. Lee felt his original train of thought slam back into him with a vengeance. "I need…to see…Naruto…"

"Not like this, you're not," he said, and lifted her up effortlessly into his arms. She made a startled noise and began to struggle again. "I'm taking you to the hospital," he turned in the direction he had specified.

Her hands clamped in the folds of his chunin vest and he looked down at her. She was still crying, and her eyes were glittering with pain, but he read them clearly anyway. She shook her head once from side to side, wincing again as fresh pain stabbed into her. He felt torn, and still wanted to take her to the hospital.

"Fine, we'll go to Naruto's house," he sighed, tightening his grip on her as he broke into a run once more. "But I'll find out who did this to you, Sakura, and I'll kill them."

She could only look away from him.


	15. Summer, 5

Uzumaki Naruto sat down at his kitchen table in front of the waiting cup of instant ramen. He picked up the waiting chopsticks and snapped them in two, and in the same moment, his front door splintered nearly in half and came toppling inside. He leapt to his feet and roared, too surprised and angry to be scared: "What the _hell—_!"

"I figured it would be locked and I didn't want to stand out there waiting for you," Rock Lee cut him off, carrying Haruno Sakura in his arms. He went into the living room and laid her down on the couch. "Stay there," he stated firmly at her and came back into the kitchen where Naruto just stared in apprehension. "She was attacked by someone. Do you have any medicine here?"

"Attacked?" he tossed the chopsticks aside and only gave one mournful thought about his interrupted meal before passing through to the living room. He crouched beside Sakura, who was leaning herself up with her elbows. "Who attacked you?" his brow furrowed, his look getting dark as he assessed her condition with a quick sweep of his eyes, noting the smudge on her throat that looked like a strangle print. Why strangle with bare hands? There were a multitude of shinobi instruments that could be used in strangle attempts; wire was the most popular one. So then why not go for the weapon, and risk the victim—Sakura, in this current case—getting away to inform others of their presence?

Unless, the attacker just didn't care.

"Naruto…" she hissed his name painfully, her hand gripping his wrist tightly as she winced in pain. It was still hurting her to talk.

"How long ago did this happen? By hours, show me with your fingers," he urged her. He felt his temper trying to get away from him and clutched it back down as she raised two fingers at him. She'd been attacked two hours ago, so the assailant couldn't have gone far. He stood. "Lee, the guy may still be nearby. I'm going after him. You stay here with Sakura—there's herbs and other stuff in the bathroom under the sink—what?" Sakura was tugging on his arm and shaking her head, motioning for him to come down to level with her. He grimaced as he knelt. "Sakura, if I don't go now, he might get away." She shook her head again, glancing behind him at the entrance to the living room then returning her watery gaze to his. She was checking to see if Lee was going out of the room. _Weird_, he wrinkled his nose. _Does she not want to be alone with me? Or—_his eyes widened and he lowered his voice into a conspiratorial whisper. "Was it Lee?" She shook her head again, opening her mouth to speak.

"Don't want him to…" she began coughing.

"Tell her not to speak!" Lee shouted from somewhere deeper inside his apartment. Naruto made a face in his direction, then got up and went across to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with cold water from the tap. He brought it back over to her and sat down on the floor beside the couch she was on, keeping one eye on the hall where Lee would appear from whenever he was finished doing whatever it was he was doing.

"Drink when your throat begins to tickle; that stops a coughing fit," he told her. She nodded and began to drink. He watched her for a minute before speaking again. "Okay, you don't want Lee to hear who did it? Why? And who _did_ do it, anyway?"

She stopped drinking and bit her lip, her eyes lowering to her hands clasped around the glass. "I…I'm not sure why he did it, but…" she took a few sips of water and grimaced, trying not to cough. Naruto got a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. _'I'm not sure why he did it…'_

"You can tell me, Sakura," he said softly. "Or at least tell me what you want me to do."

She continued to look at her hands around the glass. Finally, in a weak voice, so low he had to lean in to hear, she continued. "I was visiting Sasuke… He looks tired, like he's not getting enough—"

She turned her head into the crook of one arm and leaned against the cushions of the couch, muffling the coughs that attacked her. Then she drank from the glass, which was almost empty. "Do you want more?" he asked her. She shook her head. "Okay, you were saying that Sasuke hasn't been getting enough of something. Sleep, is my guess." She nodded. "So, to say he's in a bad mood is an understatement." Wincing, she nodded again. The sick, cold feeling in his stomach intensified. "So, was he the one…"

She made a face and shook her head, then swallowed the last of her water. She cleared her throat and glanced again at the hallway. He could hear Lee running the tap in the bathroom. _What's he doing in there?_ "He did…but it wasn't him," she explained.

He blinked. That last statement had totally confused him. "He did it, but it wasn't him?" She nodded. "Sakura, I don't understand…"

"Not him," she shook her head again. "Orochimaru."

The nervous tension he had been feeling paled in the sudden onrush of sick fear that swept over him. "But Orochimaru's dead!"

She frowned thoughtfully. "Not sure…"

"Sasuke said it himself! He—"

The footsteps made him swallow his words. Lee returned from his exploits in the bathroom with what appeared to be a crudely-handmade teabag with an assortment of the herbs from Naruto's medicine cabinet stitched into the shred of an overstretched white t-shirt. He also carried a cream jar that the blond knew was especially for treating bruises. Lee knelt beside the two of them.

"You gave her water. Good." He nodded. "I'll make her some tea next. Tea will soothe her throat and relax her. Do you have lemon or honey?"

"No lemon, except some lemon juice in the fridge. I have honey in there too, on the side, with the ketchup." Naruto strained to keep his voice normal-sounding.

Lee nodded again. "Did she try talking after drinking?"

"No," he lied.

"Can I use your kitchen?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Naruto?"

"What?"

"What are you going to do about that?" Lee pointed at the broken front door. Naruto groaned. He'd forgotten all about it.

"What do you mean, what am I going to do about it?" he glared at the other man. "_You_ broke it, so _you_ can fix it!"

"You can't hold me responsible for my actions up until now. I was upset."

"What a load of crap!" Naruto yelped. "You'd better believe I'm holding you responsible! Not everyone breaks down a door when they're upset, you know!"

"I'll see what I can do about a temporary fix, but you should really just get it replaced."

"And are you going to pay for it? As well as the service charges?" There was a tug on his sleeve. He looked over into Sakura's pleading eyes. He sighed. "Never mind. Just…fix it, okay? I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Lee didn't stand but his eyes followed the other man up.

"I'm going to find who did this to her, and I'm going to give them a real good talking to," he muttered. "A _really_ good talking to."

"What?"

"Nothing. Take care of her Lee, okay?" Naruto turned and ran out the apartment. "And fix my door!"

* * *

The chances of Sasuke still being in his house after what had happened were slim to none, but that was undoubtedly the first place he should look for him, or anything that could signify where he was going. Naruto tried to walk casually, with his hands in his shorts pockets, as he thought. _It was him, but it wasn't. It was Orochimaru._ Either statement made no sense to Naruto, so instead he thought about Sasuke acting weird; _He didn't look as if he'd been getting enough sleep._ Lack of sleep equals grumpiness with the Uchiha. So when was the first time something like that had caught his attention? He'd been acting virtually the same since he'd gotten his cast. _And why did he get his cast?_ That day of endless training, where Naruto had told Sakura that Sasuke must have been training by himself before he had arrived at his house at seven thirty in the morning. Early, yes, but the blond had been lying restlessly in bed, and he figured he may as well keep Sasuke up too, seeing as they were starting to become good friends again, and what better way to spend an early morning than by bothering your best friend? But Sasuke had been up when he'd gotten there, and when he'd asked him why, the other man had simply told him

"I couldn't sleep," Naruto echoed his thoughts aloud, lifting his eyes to check his surroundings. He was almost there. He looked back down at his feet. Come to think of it, that was the day, right? After Sasuke's trial, after they began to rebuild places of the house—mostly interior stuff to begin with—and before the cast. The beginning of the summer, when things were getting less tense, and Sasuke was becoming more like his old self. _From cold Spring to warm Summer_, he thought to himself, and then he was there at the entrance. It wasn't locked, so he let himself in, unsure whether to call out to Sasuke and alert him of his presence or try and sneak in unnoticed. He was unsure about everything. He couldn't even be mad at Sasuke for attacking Sakura because he just _wasn't sure._

"Fuck," he said to himself and entered the house.


	16. Summer, 6

They lifted their head as distant footsteps closed in on the house. His throat was constricted and dry, and swallowing hurt. His eyes were swollen from his tears. At the same time, his forked tongue flickered out, tasting the bitter salt, relishing it, a slow smile slithering onto his features. The thing's eyes flickered from black to red to yellow, and a scream swelled up in its throat, transforming mid-way into a laugh that he smothered between his thin pale lips. They couldn't be heard now; that would be the end of him, and possibly the other too. Not that he cared much.

"Sasuke?" the intruder called and half of the thing tried to raise its voice to answer while the other gulped it back down in twisted satisfaction. They would not be disturbed. They rose as one. The troublesome one entered, his vicious chakra filling the air with subdued hostility. The demon spirit was awake and vengeful after its period of rest. It longed for a battle, and they reasoned that it could be arranged.

Another smirk, and they disappeared.

* * *

Naruto felt the conflicting chakras coming from the master bedroom. He swore silently under his breath and hesitated by the door, unsure if he should confront Sasuke or not. It was a difficult decision: he wanted to see if what Sakura had said was really true, but if it were, he didn't want to know after all. As he hung back he felt the Kyuubi's power reacting to something—or someone—deeper in the house. It had been dormant for quite sometime, sedated by the new-found peace surrounding its container. It had been feeding off Naruto's worry and stress, but that wasn't enough. Now, it reached out and latched onto the menacing aura entwined within the air around, railing against its mental cage, roaring for a fight. He struggled to keep his blood from boiling. As he was having this mental battle with the Kyuubi Kitsune, however, both chakra patterns vanished.

Naruto started, then groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. Of _course_ Sasuke had left the house; he could sense the stupid Kyuubi's chakra. _Stupid ass fox._He scrunched his brows together and thought hard about where Sasuke could have run away to presumably be alone. Definitely not anywhere in town, that was for sure. And the training grounds just outside the city were probably dotted with training three-man cells, so then where to? He thought harder.

And then he had it.

* * *

The burn in her throat had gone with the hot tea and she told him so. "Thank you, Lee."

"You're welcome," he looked to his feet, paused, then looked back up into her eyes with a serious face. "Who was it, Sakura?"

She debated lying to him, found she couldn't really after all he'd done, and sighed. "It's…complicated." Her eyebrows drew together as she frowned. "If I tell you, you may jump to conclusions."

"Did Naruto jump to conclusions?" She gave him a surprised look. "I heard your voices from the hall. I may look funny, but I'm not incompetent, Sakura."

Feeling ashamed, she looked away from his wide black eyes. "I didn't mean to insinuate that, Lee. I just…"

"So, only Naruto could understand what's going on, which is why you were coming to see him originally, right?" he crossed his arms over his chest. She nodded. "Then I'm going to take a guess and say it was Sasuke." Her eyes shot back to his, startled. "Before I go kill him, though, I'm going to let you convince me he was temporarily insane or something."

She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and gave out a half-laugh, half sigh. "Only Naruto would understand, because only Naruto truly understands Sasuke." Her wide forehead creased again as she gave another frown. "You were being sarcastic about him being temporarily insane, but that's actually closer to the truth." Lee had a feeling this would be a long explanation, so he sat down beside her on the long couch. "You see, while Sasuke was away, he was with Orochimaru—"

"I know this, Sakura." She shot him a reproachful look that made him swallow the rest of his bitter comeback.

When she was sure he wasn't going to say anything else flippant, she continued. "Orochimaru tried to assimilate himself into Sasuke's body, but Sasuke fought him off and killed Orochimaru by absorbing his consciousness…willingly, I guess is the word." Lee tried to follow along, but was beginning to understand Sakura's reasoning or trusting Naruto over him: _You had to be there to fully understand the depths of this insanity._ "So, Sasuke remained Sasuke with all of Orochimaru's powers, and he figured that was all of it." Sakura felt herself nearing tears, so she took a deep breath and paused to mentally regain herself before she continued. "Apparently, there were side-effects that not even Orochimaru had realized at first. He's not dead, but lodged into Sasuke's consciousness—like two people living in one body. And now that they've both realized it, they're fighting over Sasuke's body again." She grimaced. "Of course, I could be completely wrong, but I don't think I am." Chancing a glance at him, she added: "Do you think that's crazy?"

Le stared at her and at nothing, thinking, wondering. As if reaching a decision, he leaned forward and deliberately pressed his lips to Sakura's. She jumped and before she could protest, it was over. He stood up and looked at her with dark, serious eyes.

"Not only did you prove he was insane, but that it wasn't even his fault. So, I'm going to follow Naruto and see what I can do to help him." He paused, thinking. "I might not fully comprehend what I'll be up against, but at least I know a little, and maybe I won't die quickly." Her eyebrows shot up and she tried to say something, but he held up a hand and cut her off. "Neji was saying he felt irregular chakra patterns, so if he were to investigate it, that would lead him to Sasuke, and he may even help us, but I don't have time to go and get him." He smiled at her. "Don't worry, though. I'll make sure neither of them die, I promise."

He grinned at her, giving her the thumbs-up—his Nice Guy pose—and turned, bounding out the front door (which he hadn't fixed). He leapt over the balcony railing and landed smartly three stories down in front of the apartment complex, and instantly began to run. He pushed himself hard, throwing all but a little of his awareness into the run, trying to wash out the confusion rolling around in his head as he sensed for Naruto or Sasuke's chakra. Amazingly, he felt both in the same area. He pumped his arms and legs and spurred himself on even harder, trying to block out the dizziness from the feel of her lips, the confusion of her voice speaking Sasuke's name. Just, was she in love with him, or wasn't she? It was getting harder and harder to reach her, to tell anymore. She stood protected behind her two friends, as if unattainable. _I don't quit until I get what I want. _He shook his head hard, denying the thought access. _She's not yours to fight for, get over it._

Footsteps keeping pace with him yanked him out of his brain's whirling thoughts, and he looked over to his right.

Sakura looked back at him, her cheeks getting red from the exertion of the run. "I'm coming too," she didn't state but demand. "No one's going to die while I'm there." She looked him pointedly in the eye. "No one."

Beautiful elation crushed his confusion. Even if she didn't love him back, at least she cared. And that was enough.

For now, anyway.


	17. Summer, 7

Naruto hesitated just behind the line of tall pines surrounding the barren land ahead. It was the border of the Fire Country that opened up to the Neutral Grounds settled in between all the shinobi nations. It was the Valley of the End. He gulped and began to step forward when a sharp cry sent him stumbling backward. His blue eyes fiercely probed the tree branches for an opening, searching for Sasuke's shape, where the noise emanated from. The dark-haired man knelt crouched at the water's edge, clutching his arms around himself as if he were being violently sick. Retching noises came and gagging sounds followed, but nothing came out. It was as if he were trying to upheave the contents of his body without physically doing so. To throw up the sickness of his mind. Naruto once again started forward when a voice spoke out and he whirled, fully expecting its source to be behind him.

"_He comes_," it said in a raspy whisper, but there was no one else in sight.

"Leave…him…alone…" Sasuke gasped, shuddering as his body heaved forward, almost pitching him into the dark water.

"_He's in the way. We must dispose of him for a greater purpose._"

"Get…out…of me. Leave me…alone…"

"_How many times must I explain? I _am_ you._"

"No, you're…not!"

Naruto stared. Sasuke was talking to _himself_, but with different voices. One was his own, and the other was...

"_Shall I demonstrate?_"

It was Orochimaru's.

"I won't…let you use me!" Sasuke was fighting with everything he had left; Naruto could sense the break in his voice as he screamed to the sky.

As if his cry were ignored, the cold and somehow slithery voice came again, rising to be heard. "_I know you are listening, __Kyuubi__Kitsune__. Come out._"

"Naruto…!" Sasuke panted, "Stay back…!"

"_I thought you valued your friend's life_," Orochimaru hissed from Sasuke's mouth. "_I will crush him now if you do not come out._"

"RUN AWAY!" Sasuke screamed at him.

Naruto took in a deep breath and stepped into the clearing.

"I'm here, you slimy ass bastard," he growled at the crouching form, "now what the hell do you want with me?"

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata watched her cousin with growing concern. Neji rarely smiled, but this was beyond his usual scowl; he seemed to be distant…_lost_, in some sort of thought or feeling. He hadn't touched the tea she had brought him, and she knew it was long-cold. She thought of approaching him, but didn't want to bother his thoughts, so she turned to go.

"Hinata," he called and she froze mid-step, a flood of guilt and shame reddening her pale face. She turned to him.

"Y-yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

In the past few years, he had come far from hating her, and now they were almost as close as siblings. She liked to think he felt the same about her. Sometimes his tone suggested such, but not this time. The voice he used was one Hyuuga talking to another. A commanding voice. She took a deep breath and steeled herself.

"Of course."

He looked at her, a flicker of appreciation in his colorless eyes. "Do you know of any power we possess that can block singular unwanted patterns of chakra?"

"Internal or external?" she knew of a few.

"External."

That would be harder. "There is a family technique that blocks _all_ foreign chakra patterns, but it's not developed enough to be selective. So the answer would be 'no'."

He allowed his face to relax and she instantly felt her body do the same. "Do you think I could bring it to that point?"

"If any Hyuuga in our clan could, it would be you," she smiled softly. Then, her curiosity got the better of her: "Why do you ask?"

"Something strange is happening, and the result is a very disturbing backlash of chakra. I lost my concentration three times at training today."

She started. Three strikes with Neji was indeed strange. "Maybe father would know of something. Should I ask him?"

"No," Neji rose, "he'd just restrict me from learning the technique. Do you know where the scroll is?"

"The second floor of the library, on the right-hand side," she instantly replied, "in the third case, near the center shelves." He looked surprised. She grinned sheepishly. "I've been spending a lot of time in there lately."

"So I see," he gave her an affectionate pat on the arm. "Let me know if you want to train together sometime, alright?"

She shook her head. "You're out of my league, Neji. I'd get hurt."

"Being afraid of pain stops process," he scolded her gently.

"I know," she looked down, clasping her hands in front of her. "It's a habit."

"Break it," he said, not unkindly. "I'm going to take a look at that scroll." He started off. "Sorry about the tea," he added as an afterthought and disappeared. Hinata smiled and picked up the ceramic cup, looking at her reflection in the cold liquid.

"I'm just glad I could help, even if it's a little bit," she spoke softly after him, but of course he couldn't hear.

* * *

Naruto held his breath as Sasuke rose and turned around to face him. The eyes that stared out were not entirely black or yellow, but a sort of muddy in between that flickered in and out, intensified by the red Sharingan. He sneered with a lipless mouth, his already-pale skin draining starkly to an ashen white. A dark cross-shape was spreading like a bruise along the bridge of his nose and across his high cheekbones, and the soft gray robe he wore about his frame was rippling with unseen wind, bulging out behind him, tightening at the chest. Naruto watched the transformation with growing apprehension, thinking that he had rushed foolishly headlong into a trap, but knowing that if he could somehow reach the part that was still Sasuke, he would be okay. They were battling with each other; Sasuke's consciousness delving deeper to preserve the core that was himself, Orochimaru already moving to take over the physical form, making him appear as a mix between his old body and the curse form he'd granted Sasuke long ago. It was sickening and sad to behold.

Wings that weren't wings but long, entwined and woven snakes slipped out of the robe, pushing it off his shoulders to fall to his waist as they expanded out and upward. All of his exposed skin was that sickening ashy gray color, except the bold black star cross in the center of his face. At the completion of this transformation, he began to laugh in Orochimaru's gurgling hiss that grated on Naruto's nerves. One hairless eyebrow raised at the blond and a hand partially extended out toward him.

"_I've grown tired of your inability to harness the gift that has been given to you_," he spoke in a high, cold tone. "_Let us not see if something can be done about that._"

Naruto opened his mouth to ask what the hell he was talking about when an unpleasant jerk twisted at his gut. The spiral seal on his stomach began to flare and burn. He winced and tried to put his hands across his middle but they would not obey. He watched in horror as his fingernails sprang forth inches out from the cuticles. He felt his teeth pushing uncomfortably against one another, sliding out from beneath his unwilling lips, felt his eyes narrowing and widening all at once. A red haze covered everything. The world came sharply and abruptly into focus and Naruto felt himself falling into his own body, watching the tunnels of his eyes recede into darkness above. The Kyuubi's spirit roared in exaltation, leaping forward from its opened cage and filling his whole entire being with hot anger and need. Naruto flung himself into that inner cage, slamming the doors shut behind him as devil's fire sprang into existence and licked toward him, longing to burn the rest of him into nothingness. He was trapped inside himself, Orochimaru's icy laughter filtering down to him, even here.

"Fuck," he stated for the second time that day.


	18. Summer, 8

Sasuke watched through eyes that were no longer his own, seeing Naruto sway unsteadily on his feet and then straighten with an abrupt roar. Red, malicious chakra flared into being around his body as his features elongated and narrowed simultaneously, signifying the change. He had never seen it before, although he had known what was locked away deep inside the other man, and it was terrifying to watch. While Orochimaru's consciousness relished the bloodthirsty aura, Sasuke's own mind withdrew from it and also somehow marveled at it. Was this the power that had begun to catapult the blonde to levels not yet reached by Sasuke himself? The force that drove him above and beyond the expectations others already held for him? The changed Naruto roared with a voice that was not his own and Sasuke thought: _how is it you could carry such a thing inside of you for so long? Just how strong are you?_

* * *

She was losing her breath, he could tell by the way she drew it in—as if she were drowning and was trying to gulp down its sustenance to survive. He briefly felt that he should stop her now, then decided against it. He knew she wouldn't have it that way. 

"I think we're close," he said instead. She humored him with a slight nod, her lips parted as she sucked in the hot air around them. The dark, heavy storm clouds that had been threatening the skies all day looked as if they were swelled to bursting and Lee prayed it wouldn't rain. It was the last thing they needed right now.

_I don't know if you can hear me, __Naruto, _he frowned as the thick evergreen trees closed in around them and the two of them made their way toward the outskirts of the Leaf Country. _Whatever happens, wait for Sakura. She'll be heartbroken if you or __Sasuke do something stupid before she's there to stop it._

* * *

"_Come_," the voice that was not Sasuke's hissed from his lips. "_Try to kill me, if you can. If you are unafraid to kill the one you cherish._" 

All Naruto could do in his current situation was try to gain some sort of feeble control over his fox spirit's rage. He closed his eyes and concentrated fiercely, picturing a sort of chain-link harness on the Kyuubi's power, holding it back, keeping his slight leverage that his own body gave him.

"_We are the same, you and I. __Both in bodies that are not ours but merely containers._"

The fox railed. Naruto pictured the harness, pictured chain leashes anchoring it to the damp ground and in his hands and he pulled backward with all of his might.

"_Break free of your container._"

"Sasuke…" Naruto grunted, his teeth clenched in effort as he took hold of those chains and _pulled_. "I know you can hear me, you bastard… Hold it back…! Hold it back until we can come up with a _plan_ or something…!" He strained farther, the muscles in his neck popping up and threatening to snap with the effort.

* * *

It was like a poke but mental, if such a thing could be done. Sasuke blinked and lost track of the exchange outside of him, falling back on his inner awareness. His sixth sense, it was so-called. And he listened. 

_…you bastard…__ Hold it back…! __…a _plan_…_

"…Naruto?" No. No way. There was no such thing as telepathy. Sensing and guessing, yes, but actual _mind-speak_…?

_IS IT YOUR BODY OR NOT, STUPID SASUKE!_

He jumped. He looked about his mental prison. His confused look melted to one of determination. Whatever that had been, it was right. Was he really going to sit back and take this? Sasuke turned back to his awareness and summoned the dormant power that belonged to himself and not to Orochimaru.

"You can't take my body so easily, Orochimaru!"

* * *

The fox and the snake stared at each other from across the baked earth. The sun had been long-hidden with the threat of rain. Tears from the sky would come and cry over their epic battle. The skies would weep for Konoha's destruction on this very day, the snake swore to itself. The fox had its own plans that also involved destruction, but while the snake was an obstacle in its way, the snake wanted to use the fox's destructive power for its own purpose. 

In the end, no one would win. But they were going to fight anyway.

* * *

Naruto cheered when he saw the confused look on the Sasuke/Orochimaru-thing's face. _He heard me!_ Now that he didn't have to throw all of his energy into stopping the Kyuubi he channeled more energy into reaching his friend. 

"You did it! Now why the hell did it come to this, huh Sasuke?"

* * *

He heard the voice again and didn't even bother to define it with logic. Naruto was somehow speaking to him, fine, good. 

_Why'd it come to this?_

"I was…afraid…" he closed his eyes.

* * *

Naruto actually heard a voice this time, and only took a second to believe he was crazy. But he'd done crazier stuff, so why wasn't telepathy possible? 

_Afraid._

"Afraid? But why were you afraid, Sasuke?"

* * *

_Why?_

He chuckled, opening red Sharingan eyes to the darkness of his mind.

"…because I didn't want to feel worthless."

* * *

_When I have power, when I have a reason to fight, I can go on. Without that reason—without my brother—I can't function. Something inside of me breaks. And he is allowed to slip through: __Orochimaru_

_But why think that there's nothing? You existed before your revenge, why not after?_

_Because… I am weak. I severed all those bonds I had created, that once distracted me from my purpose. But what is one supposed to do without a purpose?_

_I'm not God, but I'm sure your life still has a purpose._

_Without needing to be powerful, there is no purpose. After it all, my life is for nothing. Why should I continue to exist?_

_Because there are other reasons besides revenge and other people beside your brother! It's not too late to find what you lost; to recreate those bonds that you tried to sever._

_What will all of this power amount to? Will it remain untapped forever? Without using it, it'll just get worse._

_Still going on about power.__ When will you learn that power is not as important as you make it out to be? Instead of worrying if you're strong or weak, use the power you know you have to protect those around you._

_Put my power to use…_

_Use what you've built your whole life around. There's no reason to throw it away now! Keep it with __you,__ keep it for when you need it. Use it to protect your life and the life of those you care about._

_Those that I… care about?_

_There are people you care about, right?_

_Once, I did…_

_And there you go again. Down the __emo__-path you strut alone. Look over your shoulder and realize that others love you for who you are, not what you can or can not do._

_Naruto__…_

_Sasuke_

_I can use my power to protect…you?_

_…sure, if you want to.__ But I can protect myself, you know._

_So then—_

_It's not worthless! Having you there just means I'm 'invincible' instead of 'hard-to-hit'. Make sense?_

_…you never make sense._

_Neither do you._

_Sakura too?_

_Sakura too._

_I hurt her…_

_You were confused. We're all confused sometimes. Now get the hell back into your body so you can apologize to her._

_But I—_**DON'T THINK IT WILL BE THAT SIMPLE!**

* * *

The connection was sliced in two. Naruto and Sasuke both recoiled from the backlash of power that washed over them. Orochimaru's voice broke into their thoughts: "_It's going to be harder than that to be rid of me!_" Sasuke lost his grip on the power; it slipped away and he fumbled for it, dumbstruck. Naruto's image of the harness and chains vanished in a swirl of expended chakra and he fell back, completely exhausted. He could only watch in numb horror as the Kyuubi roared itself back into surety and began to focus bleeding energy into one clawed hand. The chakra became pronounced, orbital, eminent in its devastating power. A rasengan. 

Orochimaru was equally prepared. He channeled Sasuke's chakra coils to begin an equally-destructive counter-attack: a bright silver-white chidori crackled into existence at his fingertips, solidifying into a deadly force in the center of his palm. He caressed it with his fingertips, savoring the pain in his soon-to-be arm. They began to wait for some sort of signal.


	19. Summer, 9

Lee knew the instant things went down: it made all the hair on his body stand completely on end, all the nasty, electrifying chakra sizzling through the air. He wanted to point it out to Sakura, but by the size of her eyes—the teal orbs overtaking more than half of her face—he believed she knew. By now, he also believed that no one in Konoha was unaware of the situation, and he was just waiting for the sharp call of another voice to bring their small rescue (?) party to a halt. But Sakura pressed on and Lee admired her more than he ever had before. Not adored her, but _admired_ her. She was heading toward certain peril and she absolutely knew it. In fact, besides the two men in question, he could swear that no one knew more about it than she did. The fact that she was running head-first into it was making him see Sakura in a new light.

"Lee!" she gasped, cutting off his thoughts. "There's someone closing in from the left! Please!"

She didn't have to say anymore. He veered off-course and headed toward their left through the trees, hoping that he would catch the unexpected third party in time. Meanwhile, she bolted ahead, and he felt a pang of worry for her, but squashed it. He'd simply knock out the intruder and launch himself back to her side.

At least, that's what he'd been _planning_…

* * *

It was what they had been waiting for—the first fat drops of the summer storm began to fall to the earth. One splattered in the center of the dark cross on Orochimaru's face, and one plunked onto the bridge of the Kyuubi's nose. At the same time, they lunged for one another, destructive powers raised in their hands, aiming with deadly intent. 

Both Naruto and Sasuke had had time to recover their wits and their strength. So when the two dove for one another, Naruto threw all caution and thought aside and flung himself out of that mind cage, reaching for the fox and willing it back to its place while Sasuke recalled that deep power and harnessed it around Orochimaru's consciousness and tried to pry it from his own. Slowly, painstakingly, their jumps slowed and their hands lowered, but that was all. The chakra was still there, threatening to bring extreme hurt if not death. And suddenly, Sakura was there.

* * *

She crashed out of the trees and onto the lake shore, looking around wildly, her chest heaving. If one didn't know the circumstances, they would have said she looked crazed, the way her breaths came out ragged and in sharp and the way her eyes darted back and forth, seeing something not there. But there was something there, and something wholly wrong: Sasuke was not Sasuke but Orochimaru, and Naruto was not himself but the Kyuubi, and each one had a potentially lethal ball of chakra in their hands aimed at severe vital points of the other's body. The scene threw her back in time, to the roof of the hospital when they were still children, where she had tried to intercept them and Kakashi had to jump in and save her. But there was no Kakashi, there was no one (there had been Lee, but she had asked him to leave) except the three of them, just like before. And just like before, she ran forward, her arms extended out to either side, her eyes squeezed shut and tears spilling out from the corners and mingling with the rain and she drew in a deep breath and screamed: 

"STOP, YOU TWO! _STOP!_ BOTH OF YOU! _STAND DOWN_!"

* * *

They both saw her and they both panicked.

_Shit!_

_Can't stop!_

But there was no one to stop for them, and she stood between their hostile energies as if she could barricade them from each other, hands out and eyes closed and leaking as she screamed again: "**STOP IT**"

_Sakura! I mustn't hurt Sakura, no matter what!_

_I can't hurt you again…!_

"MOVE!" Naruto screamed, coming back into himself part-way. The Kyuubi flailed and tried to shove him aside, to have its blood, but he rose against it, grabbed it, stuffed it in its cage and slammed the door. "I CAN'T STOP! _MOVE!_"

She acted as if she didn't hear him. She scrunched her face up tight and stayed where she was.

"S-Sakura…" Sasuke hissed in Orochimaru's voice and then he dug the claws of his power into the tender and unprotected consciousness, removing it from the front of his mind, siphoning it off toward his subconscious, to lock away for good. "Sakura!" he yelled, in his own voice.

Still she did not move.

_SHIT!_

* * *

She could sense the change even though she couldn't see it. The malice and hatred were gone, only to be replaced with panic and fear. She had gotten through to them, but at exactly what price…?

* * *

Naruto tucked himself into a ball (arm extended to the side, of course) and rolled with his momentum as the remnants of the Kyuubi's power left him, flying through the air feet-first instead of head-first. He closed his eyes and prayed Sasuke was as smart as he hoped he was. Plus, when you were flying blind, it was better not to look. 

Sasuke curled his body in on itself as he felt the change pass through him. The snake-wings were disintegrating and the scaly skin was peeling away, but the chidori still pulsed in his hand, was still a threat, and he did the only thing he could think of: he rocked his body all the way around so that he was coming at Naruto and Sakura feet first. Maybe he could kick off Naruto, knock the blond away from her, and rebound somehow…?

Their feet connected—_YES!_—with a bone-shattering thud and they instantly knew the telepathy was still with them. Using each other, they bent their knees to absorb the shock of their collision, then coiled up their muscles and sprang away from one another, just over the pink-haired girl's head. In the intensity of the moment, they could feel her wince, as if the movement reverberated through the very air, thick with rain. They hit the ground with twin "oomph!"s and skidded a good dozen feet before coming to a mutual stop against the dirt, the rasengan and the chidori both gone, dissipated. Silence fell on the Valley of the End.

Sakura slowly opened one eye, then the other, wondering if she had been killed. If she had been, it wasn't as painful as she thought it would be. Then she felt the rain on her feverish skin, her damp hair falling annoyingly into her face, the hesitant twitter of a bird somewhere in the forest behind her. She turned around.

Naruto was getting up with a pained look on his face. She knew instantly that he had broken one of his ankles. _How?_ She idly wondered as she ran over to him and dropped to her knees by a deep furrow in the wet earth (_H__uh?_). She put a hand on his back. "Naruto?" she called tentatively.

"Shit, that hurt…" he grumbled, getting on his hands and knees, then turning his head to look up at her from beneath his mess of blond hair. "Hey, Sakura. Are you hurt?"

"No," she choked on the word, tears rising in her eyes again. "Are you?"

He knew she knew the answer to that, so he didn't try to avoid it: "Ankle hurts. Arm too," he frowned at the tingling arm he had performed the rasengan with. "Other than that, no. You really didn't miss much," he tried to laugh and saw it wasn't working. "Sorry. But I'm okay. You might want to check on Sasuke over there."

Her eyes widened. "Sasuke…"

"He's alright now," Naruto shifted, plopping down on his butt and flinching as his ankle twinged in reminder. "We sort of worked it out."

Her eyes watched the robed figure across from them sit up and rub his head, then cradle one arm in the other. She stood. She touched her fingers briefly to Naruto's hair. "Thank you." Then she went over to him.

Sasuke heard her footsteps but could not make himself turn around. He would have tried a little harder, had his leg not been broken. He felt her eyes on him, felt her stop just shy of three feet away, held his breath.

Finally: "Your leg's broken."

"Yeah," he managed to get out.

"It was Orochumaru, right?"

"Right."

"So it's okay to forgive you then, right?"

He finally turned his head so he could at least look at her in profile. "Yeah," he said. "That is, if you want to."

She came the rest of the distance and knelt beside him. "I'm going to set your leg and put some chakra around it until we can get you to the hospital."

"Not again," he sighed and she laughed softly.

"Yep. Another cast, I'm afraid."

"Why are you always sending me to the hospital?"

"Why are you always getting hurt?" she shot back.

"Shit happens," he shrugged. _Shit happens, indeed._

"Okay, enough over there! How about some healing, eh?" Naruto called from a little further down.

"At least he's okay," Sasuke rolled his eyes. Sakura opened her mouth to say something when Lee burst into the clearing, followed by his teammate, Hyuuga Neji.

"I'm late, aren't I?" Lee groaned. Sasuke blinked and Sakura fell backward, laughing.

"What the hell are you two doing here!" Naruto yelped from behind them.


	20. Summer, 10

"Neji's increased awareness due to the Byakugan had him feeling random flares of chakra," Lee explained when the nurse finally decided to leave. He and Neji had carried Naruto and Sasuke to the hospital after Sakura had set their breaks and done her best to heal them. "He kept getting distracted, so he told me he was going to work out some sort of chakra-blocking technique."

"Karin had a chakra-sensing ability," Sasuke spoke up briefly. "I don't know if there's any true way to block something like that."

"He's going to try, though," Lee said gruffly, probably trying to hide the admiration in his voice. The room's only door opened and Sakura came in, followed by Yamanaka Ino and Hyuuga Hinata. They were laughing about something. The good mood they radiated rippled through the room, removing Sasuke's thoughtful scowl and Naruto's glower.

"Hey, guys!" Ino waved. "Welcome back, Sasuke."

"Che," he wrinkled his nose at her.

"Lee-san, Neji is waiting outside for you," Hinata tapped the green-clad man on the shoulder.

"Okay!" he leapt up from his chair. "Maybe we can finally get some training done!" He went for the door. His hand flashed out before he disappeared and Sakura blinked, looking down at her own. Then she shook herself out of it and smiled at her two comrades.

"Okay, guys. Ino's going to fit Sasuke's cast and Hinata will do Naruto's. Any objections?"

"Yeah," Sasuke raised a hand. "Do we _have_ to have casts?"

* * *

Naruto walked the familiar path to Sasuke's house. He briefly recalled that less than five months ago, the way had been swarming with hidden Anbu. Now, a bird circled listlessly overhead, its shadow dancing on the road before him, a stray cat '_nyaw_'ed at him from atop a trashcan in an alleyway, and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. They were the only three around: the bird, the cat, and he. Above and around him, the sounds of summer reverberated through the hot air as if nothing had happened to disturb it. Sometimes, he admired the way the world just did not stop, despite whatever was happening. It also reminded him of someone…

He reached the gate and pushed it aside, finding it to be unlocked. Sakura was here. He crossed over the dry, yellowed grass, his eyes picking out the spots on the roof that they needed to continue fixing now that the worst was over. He saw the shoes on the porch and the house slippers waiting for him. He made the exchange and pulled open the sliding paper door.

"Yo!"

"Naruto, you're late!" Sakura's voice called out from what he assumed was the kitchen. He shuffled over, slippers scuffing on the wooden floor. The other two sat at the high kitchen table, a third space waiting to invite him. He lifted himself onto the stool.

"Hey!" he smiled. "Your cast!"

"We got it taken off today," Sakura shook her head, looking exasperated and relieved at the same time. "I swear, the two of you. I've never seen such incredible healing rates before." Naruto's cast had been off by the end of one week. This was Sasuke's third week. The two men looked at one another and shrugged.

"It's not my fault I heal ridiculously fast," the blond shrugged. "I don't even eat right."

"In light of our quick recovery, Sakura has bought us 'junk food', in her words," Sasuke grinned slightly at Naruto.

"This stuff is just plain unhealthy for you!" she groaned, reaching into her bag and pulling out two take-out boxes. "And thanks to Naruto, they're probably cold by now." She handed them out. Naruto opened his and swooned.

"ICHIRAKU!" he wailed in a dreamy, floaty voice. "I haven't had Ichiraku Ramen in _months!_ Thank you, Sakura!"

"Ah!" Sasuke opened his box too. "How did you—?"

"Naruto told me," she said with a sly grin.

Sasuke picked up his chopsticks with a kind of reverence, broke them apart, and began to wolf it down. Naruto was following suit in a similar fashion.

"Honestly, though," he gulped down a mouthful of ramen and pointed the chopsticks at Sasuke's food. "What a weakness! You, the great Uchiha Sasuke, goes weak in the knees for steamed dumplings!"

Sasuke swallowed another dumpling whole, soy sauce dripping from his chin. "Don't care. Doesn't leave this kitchen, though."

"Of course not, Sasuke," Sakura said sweetly, resting her chin in her hand and rolling her eyes at the two of them.

* * *

"It's almost the end of summer."

They were sitting on the porch, a plate of _dangos_ between them (Naruto had brought them) and a pot of steaming tea that Sasuke had made. Sakura had gone home, saying that she had the early shift at the hospital the next day. Now, they were moon-watching, with nothing else they cared to do on a sweltering summer's night.

"I know," said Naruto. "That means it's gonna get cold soon."

"Dork," Sasuke picked up a _dango_ and held the stick listlessly, keeping his head tilted back to the sky.

"Am not," the blond shot back, but he was grinning. He leaned back as well, eating the last dough ball on his stick before tossing it onto the half-empty plate. "Hey, Sasuke…"

"Mm?" one of the round dough balls gone from the top of his own snack.

"Did you ever think of joining the Anbu Squad?"

"Mm," Sasuke chewed thoughtfully, gulping and then reaching for his tea cup. He took a swallow, washing the sweetness down his throat. "No, I never have."

"Do you think you want to?" Naruto asked, an entire stick of _dango_ stuck in his mouth so the question actually came out as: "Hou who ink hoo anut oo?"

Sasuke grimaced, reaching over to refill Naruto's teacup. "Jesus, _swallow_ for once. And I don't really know. Like I said, I've never thought of it before."

"You should," Naruto concluded with a gulp, picked up his cup, and downed half of its warmed contents. "You'd be good at it."

"Aren't the Anbu like the hokage's personal army?" Sasuke wrinkled his nose.

"Um, sort of," Naruto frowned. He hadn't thought of it that way before. "They're more like mercenaries than personal body guards. All the S and A-Rank missions go to them, I've heard." He picked up another _dango_. "Hinata told me that Neji is about to join them."

"Elite ninja mercenaries, huh?" Sasuke frowned up at the moon.

"Yeah, something like that."

"…and when you become hokage, I'll be working under you."

_Don't sound so disappointed_, Naruto thought to himself, putting the snack back down onto the plate. Aloud, he said: "Eventually, yeah. I don't know when the old hag's gonna give me the chance, though."

Sasuke didn't respond, he just kept looking up at the yellow moon. A sliver of it was missing, so the circle looked lopsided; almost as if someone had taken a bite out of it. The silence had somehow become different, and Naruto fidgeted slightly, not knowing what to look at or do. He reached for the _dango_again—one of the last two—fiddled with it, stuck the top part in his mouth, savored the sticky sweetness on his tongue, withdrew it. He reached for his teacup, almost knocking it over when Sasuke finally spoke up.

"I'll protect you."

"W-wha…?"

"So you'll become 'invincible' instead of 'hard-to-hit'," he turned his face to the blonde's giving a soft, breathtaking smile. "When you become the Rokudaime Hokage, I'll protect you with my life."

Naruto found he had forgotten how to breathe. He also discovered that there were tears in his eyes, and he became uncomfortably aware of how the other man's stare pierced through him, pinned his soul down, and read him like an open book. He could barely manage to turn his head down and rip his eyes away.

"Id like that…" he whispered. His heart clenched. "I'd really like that."

"Good," Sasuke turned away from him, picking up the last _dango_. "Because I was going to do it whether you wanted me to or not." He gave Naruto a side-long glance. "It's my life."

"Yeah," Naruto relaxed, smiling down at his half-finished tea, "it is."


	21. Fall from Innocence, 1

_**Fall from Innocence**_

_**1**_

Even though it was still closer to summer than winter, Haruno Sakura pulled her hooded jacket tighter around her body as a chilled wind swept through the evening streets. The maroon color made the bubblegum-pink tone of her hair glimmer surreally in the light coming from the street lamps as she descended the marble steps of Konoha's seven story hospital and started for home.

"Sakura."

Rock Lee fell fluidly into step beside her. She turned her face to his, tucking a wayward strand of her hair self-consciously behind her ear. They continued to take the road to her house. "Hi, Lee. You didn't have to come all the way out here for me."

He shook his head, a pensive look on his usually-cheerful face. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something. I didn't know when you were off, so I just waited for you to come out."

This time she stopped, gaping at him. "You waited for me out here _all day_?" He stopped as well, turning back to her and cocking his head.

"Yes."

She blinked, then shook her head and gave him a soft smile. "You're a strange guy, Lee." They started walking again.

"Strange in a good way, I hope," he cracked a smile at her but to Sakura it seemed fake, forced. What was up with him?

"So, what did you need to talk to me about, Lee?" she asked, combing her hair back with her fingers again as another cool gust of air blew past them. He shook his head.

"Can you give me a minute? I'm trying to figure out how to say it properly."

She nodded, suddenly feeling apprehension clench at her gut. Figure out _what_? What would he say that he needed to try to break to her gently? Whatever it was, it couldn't be bad. He had come to see her, and waited all that time after all. He didn't _look_ mad. _Did I do something wrong?_ The streets were almost empty except for a few older people hurrying home from their jobs or from shopping before it became completely dark. They were the only two headed toward the east end of town: the slightly more well-to-do families lived here—the first time she had brought her teammates to her home, Naruto had almost popped his eyeballs out from their sockets staring at everything. Sasuke, however, had been used to it. He lived in the north sector of Konoha, which was even more impressive than this. Although (Sakura's brow unconsciously furrowed) ever since the Uchiha Massacre all those years ago, the upper-class homes had shifted north-east, away from the abandoned house and its dark, mysterious husk.

"Here's fine," Lee murmured and Sakura pulled herself out from her spiraling train of thought. She cleared her throat and looked over at him, fitting a smile onto her face.

"Fine for what, Lee?" she asked.

He seemed to ignore her for the moment, looking around them. She did too. They had followed the path onto a small rise that signified the elevation into a higher-class part of town. She could see the lights of houses and buildings before her and behind her, but here, on the street, the darkening evening sky was only punctured by a few lamps on either side of them. He nodded, more to himself than anything, and turned to face her completely, arms crossed almost defensively over his chest. His eyebrows were pulled together in a concentrated frown, his eyes downcast.

"Lee…?" she tried again.

"Sakura…" he spoke her name, trying to begin, then shook his head. "Do you know, how long it is—exactly—that I've been asking you to go out with me?"

She stared at him, at first not understanding the question. When her brain computed it, she let out a half-surprised, slightly shaky laugh. "What?" she forced herself to say, unsure of how to answer. _Is he serious?_

His face expressed nothing but sincerity. "How many years have I asked you to date me?"

Taken aback by his directness, Sakura suddenly found the ground between her feet very interesting. Forcing herself not to look into his dark eyes, she counted backwards in her head. "About… Five years?"

"Five years, seven months, twenty eight days," he answered without missing a beat. She gaped at him. He'd actually _counted_?

"Lee, I don't—" she started.

"Please, Sakura, let me talk. I may lose my nerve if you interrupt me again."

She shut her mouth.

"For more than five and a half years, I've chased you," he took a deep breath and let it out, dropping his arms to his sides. She watched his hands fumble clumsily for something to clutch onto. He hooked his fingers into the belt tied securely around his waist and continued. "I've told you almost every chance I could that I liked you. At first, I tried winning you over. When that didn't work, I simply tried asking you. I've even debated challenging you to a match and make you go out with me that way." He laughed at this last part. "But I couldn't. I mean, I couldn't bear to hurt you. I'd let you win, and it'd be pointless, wouldn't it?"

"Lee…" she said softly.

He blatantly ignored her this time. "The point is, _I'm the one doing all the chasing._ After five and a half years of one-sided attempts, I've finally gotten the hint. So, it's come down to this." He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes, steeling himself, then opened his eyes and gazed upon her with a mixture of helplessness and hope that crushed her heart. "Do you care enough to try? Does what I feel matter to you?" He shook his head. "That's unfair. To put it another way: this is my last attempt. If you turn me down here, I will know that you don't have any interest in me, and I'll stop. No more confessions, no more asking outs. Of course," he smiled a little sadly, "I'll still be your friend and I hope you'll still be able to trust me. But…" he made a vague gesture with his hand, "I'll stop bothering you with how I feel. I don't think it's very kind of me to keep forcing my feelings upon you, and if it truly bothers you, then after this, you won't ever have to worry about me trying anymore. I promise."

He smiled. _Smiled_. And Sakura was suddenly about to burst into tears. She reigned in her emotions with self-control she didn't know she had until just now, took a deep breath, and opened her mouth to answer.

He held up his hand as if to stop her voice. "Please, wait." Her mouth automatically snapped closed again. He grinned at her, and she noticed that his own eyes were not exactly dry. _Oh, Lee…_

"I don't want you to answer me now," he said slowly. "In fact, I just want to continue walking you home, if that's alright with you." His forced smile carried up to his eyes, crinkling them shut. "If you could at least do this for me: think about what I've said for one week. Give me your answer then."

She knew he wanted her to answer this time. Taking in a slow, deep breath, Sakura gave him a tiny smile. "I'd like you to walk me home, too. And, yes, I'll think about everything you've told me. I'll tell you my answer a week from now." He nodded, turned away from her, and began walking toward her house once more. She followed him in silence, not feeling uncomfortable but still a little shy and awkward about what he had just told her. _I never knew. I mean, I _knew_, but I didn't realize he thought about it this much. And for so long…_ She kept her eyes on the back of his head, as if trying to read his thoughts that way, to see what made him tick, what he was thinking of himself now that he had said all those things. What he thought of her.

At her front door, she fumbled with her keys, dropped them, cursed silently beneath her breath, and bent to scoop them up but Lee was already there, holding them out to her, a curious half-smile playing on his features. _He's always there, more often than not, isn't he?_ She shook her head, to dismiss the random thought as well as her clumsiness. "Thank you," she said, and meant it for more than just the keys.

"You're welcome," his eyes held hers. He had understood her meaning.

They stood together on the stoop for a long moment, looking at one another. Abruptly: "Sakura, is that you?" came from somewhere inside the house. The moment shattered. Sakura frowned briefly. _Dammit, Mom!_ Something had been happening between them, and she hadn't altogether disliked it.

"Yes, Mom!" she called through the door, slipping the key into the lock.

"See you later, Sakura," Lee said and then he was gone, speeding back down the street the way they had come, all of his earlier quiet contemplation gone, blown away by his speed as he shot from her house like a green kunai. She blinked after him, then smiled and shook her head. _Like a little boy._ She pushed open the door and stepped inside of her house.

"I'm home!"


	22. Fall, 2

The door exploded inward. Uchiha Sasuke—who prided himself on being rarely surprised—choked on his coffee and wound up spewing the warm mouthful he'd had all over the countertop. Something large and somehow obscenely _bright_ launched itself into his house, leaving the ragged remains of his paper screen door hanging behind by several shreds.

"_OmigawdSasukeguesswhat!_" the bright thing cried in a rush of sounds that could only be interpreted into words. It was still mid-morning, so Sasuke was having a bit of a problem translating the gibberish. Finally though, he got it.

"Naruto…" he sighed, rolling his eyes and getting up to find a dishcloth or something to wipe up the spit coffee.

"_NoSasukeyouhavetoguessguesswhat!_" the thing he had addressed jabbered at him, coming to a stop against the kitchen counter and leaning over it, his whole entire body angled into the babbleshout.

"I'm not going to guess _anything_ except who's going to fix my damn _door_!" the dark-haired man growled, grabbing a few paper towels from the roll near the sink and coming back to the mess.

Uzumaki Naruto actually paused long enough to think. "I'll fix it in a bit," he waved it off, "but Sasuke! _Guess **what**_?"

He sighed. They weren't going to get anywhere until he played Naruto's game first. "I don't know. They're having a sale on doors?"

"Get over the door!" Naruto flailed his arms wildly over his head. "This is bigger than a damn door, Uchiha! Bigger than… than… just _guess!_"

Sasuke sighed again. "Lee and Sakura are dating? I don't kn—"

"_Yes!_"

He paused.

"Are you—?" he tried.

"Positive!"

"When—?"

"I don't know, I don't know!" the blond cried excitedly. "But I _saw_ them! They were on a date, and they were holding hands, and they were laughing and talking and…" Naruto let it all sink in. "They're _dating!_"

"Huh," was all Sasuke could think to say, the coffee on the table and the door both temporarily forgotten. "Wow."

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either!" he laughed. "I asked Ino and _she _didn't know, so I had to find Neji," he made a face. "Apparently, they've been dating since last week. 'Lee's on cloud nine', he says."

"I can imagine," Sasuke looked down at the table and frowned. It was wet. _Oh yeah._ "Hey, about my door—"

"Can't you stay _focused_, Sasuke?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we'll fix your door now."

"We?"

"You're helping too!"

"_I_ didn't run _through_ it!"

* * *

He had ended up helping anyway. While Naruto's excitable fingers couldn't bind the thin wooden dowels properly and kept snapping them in new places, Sasuke found he could sit down and do it (after cleaning up the mess on the table) while Naruto took the measurements for the thick white paper, cut out long sheets of it, and rambled. 

"Geez, but _I_ can't believe it, can you?" He had just finished rattling off a list that included all the reasons he thought Sakura would never date a fuzzy-brows man like Lee. Sasuke humored him with a 'nnh' sound as he started repairing the next line of snapped wood. "He's weird," Naruto continued. "He dresses like he's colorblind—his _eyebrows_, for christsake!—and he calls himself 'the Beautiful Azure Beast'! _What_ is she _thinking_?"

"Maybe she's not," Sasuke suggested, getting another piece of adhesive wrap and fitting it tightly around the frame.

Naruto paused at the comment. "I guess not," he replied and got quiet all of a sudden. His look changed to a thoughtful one as he continued to pull and fit and cut the paper. Finally, he spoke up again: "Do you think she loves him?"

"What?" Sasuke dropped the frame and the tape with a loud clatter. Naruto jumped and looked up, confused. "Sorry, the question just startled me."

"Why? It's a simple question, right? Does she love him? For all his shortcomings?"

Sasuke shrugged, picking up the frame and starting again. "I don't know. I'm not Sakura. Ask her when you see her."

Naruto frowned. "Not just her though…" Sasuke paused, one hand holding the wood pieces together; Naruto sounded on the verge of something deeper. "Sasuke, do you…" he tried, then shook his head. "Have you ever been in love? Is it really like that?"

"Me? With everything that's happened to me, you think I've actually had time to _love_ someone?" It came out sharper and more-bitter than he intended. Naruto gave him a funny look.

"I know, but," he frowned, "I just thought to ask. I mean, one of your life's goals was the revival of your clan—I remember that from the day we first got assigned to Team Seven. So, I was just wondering if you had…you know, found someone yet."

The blond was staring at him with intensity in his sharp blue eyes that made Sasuke squirm. They held him to his spot, and he felt oddly like a deer caught in headlights. He tried to brush it off, but the feeling wouldn't go. "I still mean to revive my clan. I just…haven't found anyone up to my standards."

Naruto snickered, but his eyes remained serious. "You just sounded like a real asshole, you know that?"

Sasuke glowered at his friend: "You asked, I answered."

"Hey, don't take any offense! I was just curious!" Naruto laughed, but to Sasuke, the sound felt forced.

He turned back to his work, glancing at the blond from the corner of his eye. "What about you?" he asked. "Ever been in love?"

"Me? Nah," Naruto wrinkled his nose. "I did like Sakura a lot when we were younger, but…" he waved a hand, trailing off both the sentence and the thought. "That wasn't love. That was like. Infatuation. For a while, I did feel something toward Hinata," he scrunched up his face, recalling the memories. "But that passed too. So, no, not really."

"Hinata, huh?" the dark-haired man spoke more to himself than the blond.

"Don't get me wrong! She's really nice!" Naruto hurried on, as if he had offended the aforementioned girl in some way. "Sweet and quiet and caring, but…" he frowned again, "she's just a little _too_ shy and quiet for my taste."

_Not for mine,_ Sasuke thought abruptly. Things in his head began to click together like a complex puzzle, and he withdrew from the conversation, thinking about what Naruto had said. _My clan… __Hinata's__ quiet and probably obedient—the ideal wife. The two most-powerful bloodlines of __Konoha__ finally joined… _As if attempting to be some sort of conscience, Naruto's voice cut into his speeding thoughts: '_Have you ever been in love?_' The answer he came up with should have disturbed him, but didn't:

_I can live without love._

* * *

Sasuke had gotten extremely quiet after their talk about love. _Why? Does he think it's like admitting weakness or something?_ Naruto had also kept to himself, his own questions and Sasuke's answers running over and over though his mind as they continued to work. The door was fixed by mid-afternoon and Sasuke had seen Naruto out, telling the other man he had to "take care of something". Naruto had left him without much complaint, wanting to think about their exchange. _It's almost as if he's _afraid_ to love…_ That probably wasn't the case, but one could never be a hundred percent sure with the moody Uchiha. Naruto liked to think he could understand the dark-haired man more than anyone else (and probably _did_), and observed the silence that had fallen between them as more contemplative than uncomfortable. Sasuke had been thinking about something. 

"Not my problem," the blond shrugged, hands in his pockets as he made his way south, towards home. He had spent the rest of the afternoon sitting up in a tree near the edge of the training grounds, concealed by the still-green leaves. Soon, though, they would fade from green to red to gold and then brown and eventually fall to the earth. The world kept turning, with or without him realizing it. In the tree, Naruto had thought about this and about Sasuke's reaction to his question: _'…you think I've actually had time to _love_ someone?'_ No, but, didn't things like that just _happen?_ Like between Sakura and Lee, for example—who he'd seen entering and leaving the grounds together, walking close, holding hands, heads tilted toward one another as they whispered and grinned and giggled. _Was that love?_ He didn't know. He knew love consisted of complex feelings, and that it was the antithesis to the hate he had grown with and knew so well. His comrades' acceptance of him, was that love? Or tolerance? Was love the way someone looked into your eyes, or smiled at you, or how your hands fit together?

"I don't know," he muttered aloud and kept walking, the apartment buildings slowly coming into sight as the sun lowered gently on his right. He didn't understand and it _bothered_ him somehow. He _wanted_ to know, but didn't at the same time. If learning what it was like was to actually _be_ in love, then… didn't he sort of already know? "Ah, I don't know," he groaned to himself.


	23. Fall, 3

"Yo, Shikamaru!"

The lazy jounin glanced up from his paperwork and chucked a wave at the blond that had called out to him. "Yo, Naruto."

"Anything new for me?" he came up to the desk and placed his hands flat on top of it, bouncing twice on the balls of his feet. Nara Shikamaru cringed at the early display of energy. As a matter of fact, _all_ displays of energy made him cringe.

"Yeah," he reached into the clutter covering the top of the desk and came out with a sheet of paper that had about a dozen lines of type on it. "Godaime recommended you for this one especially. She's in the office, if you want to ask her about it." Naruto read over the mission statement, his eyes widening with each passing sentence. When he finished he whooped and jumped into the air, throwing up his arms and laughing. A few people nearby stared openly. Shikamaru cringed again. "Sheesh, calm down, man."

"I get to see Gaara!" he grinned broadly, ignoring the other man's pained expression. "Wow, I haven't talked to him in _ages!_ I can't wait to see what he's been up to!" And with that, he zipped for the hokage's office. "Later, Shikamaru!"

"Eh," Shikamaru returned to his paperwork, not even bothering to wave because he knew for a fact the other man wasn't looking—wasn't even on the same _floor_ anymore. "Doesn't he know the meaning of _calm?_ Geez…"

* * *

"Baa-chan!" The door crashed open on its hinges, giving a great shudder as it connected with the wall and left a noticeable dent in the plaster and wood. Tsunande—the respected Godaime Hokage of the Hidden Village of the Leaf—rolled her eyes and sighed, leaning forward and resting her chin atop her hands as her assistant Shizune screamed, dropping the pet pig she had been carrying. It squealed indignantly as the dark-haired woman pulled out several kunai, readying them to throw until Tsunande reached over and clamped a hand on one of her wrists.

"It's just Naruto, Shizune," the blond woman spoke, amusement and patience reflected in her voice. The dust quickly settled.

"What do you mean, 'it's just Naruto'!" he looked at her indignantly, arms crossed over his black and orange clad chest. "It should be more like, 'oh, wow, Shizune, look! It's Uzumaki Naruto, my successor!'."

"Nice try," she raised a smooth, penciled eyebrow. "Now, why are you breaking my door down?"

"Oh yeah!" he cried and whipped out a mission sheet from his jacket, the paper already creased and crumpled. "My mission! When do I leave? How long do I have? Any other objectives besides the ones listed? How'd you _know_ I've been wanting to see Gaara for the longest time!"

She took the jumble of questions in stride as Shizune—looking considerably shaken—bent to retrieve the vest-wearing pig. "You can leave right away, if you'd like," she shrugged, "but no later than tomorrow morning. You'll take as long as you have to in order to complete your objective," she shook her head. "No more, no less. It's a simple B-class escort mission: make sure the Godaime Kazekage arrives and leaves the Country of the Waves safe and sound. While he's there, you're to join up with two other escorts to form a temporary three-man squad which will accompany him at all times." She finally let a smile crack through her serious expression. "And I know that you haven't seen the Kazekage since the last mission you went on that involved the Sand. So, I thought your enthusiasm would help the mission rather than hinder it, as per usual."

"Hey!" he gave an indignant cry, but saved the rest. "At least Gaara'll appreciate my enthusiasm." He stuck his tongue out at her.

"You should start watching how you act, you know," the older woman spoke casually, her eyes glinting. "I might not tell you about your surprise when you get back."

"Huh?" he snapped his tongue back in, his eyes going wide. "Surprise? What is it?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise later, Naruto," she shook her head in mock-exasperation. "Honestly now."

His eyes got bigger, if that were possible. "I can act surprised! Tell me!"

"No."

"Aw, come on!"

"Nope."

"Baa-chan!"

"I said, no," she became semi-serious. "If you don't have the patience to wait, then maybe I shouldn't give it to you just yet."

He suddenly grew silent, somber, his back straightening and his arms falling to his sides as he stood at attention. "Yes, Godaime-sama," he nodded and a flicker of wonder briefly crossed her features. Then he loosened up and cracked a broad grin. "But you have to promise that you'll tell me the _second_ I get back!"

"If you come to my office and report right away, I can tell you then." He opened his mouth to say something else (possibly flippant), then closed it and nodded instead. "Very good. You're dismissed," she waved at him. "Good luck." He hesitated again, on the verge of a thought or question, decided against it, and tossed her a wave instead, leaving the way he came, reaching over and gripping the door handle, swinging it shut behind him. Tsunande's eyes momentarily glared at the dent in her wall, then dismissed it with a shrug.

"I think he knows, Shodai-sama," Shizune leaned over and spoke quietly, as if Naruto were on the other side of the door, listening. The blond woman shrugged.

"Maybe and maybe not," she sat back in her chair. "Whether he knows or not, it won't change facts: I'm getting older."

The other woman looked her master over, taking in the dark eyes, the slightly-creased brow, the thin mouth, and the hunched shoulders. "I think you have plenty of fight left in you, Shodai-sama."

Tsunande threw back her head and laughed. Then she said: "Thank you, Shizune. You're a good person. A good friend," she turned to face her student. "But you and I both know that it's about time to move on. I took this position on temporarily, until the Leaf could get itself back on its feet."

"Do you think it truly has?"

Tsunande got up from her chair and went to the long window behind her desk, clasping her hands behind her back and looking out over the bustling streets of Konoha. She watched the black and orange streak she could recognize anywhere zipping through the crowd, receiving smiles and waves and nods of acknowledgement from many people he passed. Some still glared, but not nearly as many as before.

"Yes," she turned from the scene below. "I think it has."

* * *

He was more than halfway home when something loud and furry and full of claws and teeth tackled him to the dirt. He and the thing grapple-rolled, the blond coming out on the bottom. He looked up into his attacker's face and blinked.

"Kiba, what the hell are you _doing_?"

"Shut up, Uzumaki!" Inuzuka Kiba growled deeply in his throat, clutching two fistfuls of Naruto's windbreaker. "You'd better talk right now! Tell me everything!"

Naruto was genuinely confused. Usually, he got tackled for a _valid_ reason. "What the fuck are you babbling about? And which is it: shut up or talk?" Kiba's eyes flashed dangerously and Naruto suddenly felt that one more wrong thing said would earn him a fat lip. He squirmed underneath the weight of the other man. "Look, just get off me, okay? I can't breathe!" The grip didn't loosen. "I can't tell you anything if I don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

The wolfish man released his iron grip on the blonde's jacket, shifting his weight and rising to his feet. Naruto rubbed the back of his head and winced as he felt the bump already swelling into being. "Dammit, Kiba!" he grumbled. "You'd better have a _damn_ good reason for doing that!"

"Like you don't know," the other man snarled down at him. Naruto stood as well.

"No, I don't know!" he snapped angrily. "Why don't you just _tell_ me what it is I'm supposed to know already!"

"Oh, like you don't know that your damn friend Uchiha Sasuke just had a _marriage_ arranged between him and the Hyuugas!"

Naruto kept glaring for a full seven seconds before the sentence hit home. His jaw dropped and his eyes popped open wide. _What what WHAT?_ "Whoa! Slow down!" he tried to force himself to laugh. It wasn't working. "Sasuke did _what_?"

"Apparently, Sasuke visited the Hyuugas yesterday," KIba grumbled shoving his hands into his pockets, his anger suddenly gone and replaced with…anxiety? "He asked Hinata's dad for one of the daughters of the main house's hand in marriage."

"Wait, whoa!" Naruto's brain spun dizzily. "He did _what!_"

"I take it Sasuke didn't tell you he was going to?" Kiba could read expressions pretty well, and Naruto's said it all.

"Well, _no!_ But shit! Are you pulling my leg or something?" he suddenly glared at his friend. "Because if you are, that's one pretty fucked up—"

"Hinata told me and Shino this morning," Kiba shook his head. "She said that yesterday, late afternoon, Sasuke showed up at her family's home unannounced. When he explained to Hinata's father what it was he wanted, she said her father choked on his tea."

"You're serious? _Sasuke_ went to _Hinata's_…" Something in his brain tried to click. He pushed it aside for the moment.

"He's asking for a daughter from the main branch. There are two," he looked at Naruto pointedly. "Hinata's of age to be married off."

"I…" Now Naruto understood why he had been attacked. "Did they come to an _agreement_ on this marriage-thing?" He knew he sounded incredulous; he meant it to.

"Not yet," Kiba shook his head. "Hinata says her father is torn between her being the oldest and Hanabi having more potential."

"_Holy shit!_" was all Naruto could think to say.

"That about covers it," Kiba spat, an agitated look on his wolf-like features. "What the hell is he _thinking_? He's _your_ teammate, Naruto! Didn't he talk to you about it or something?"

Naruto's brain again tried to tell him something, and again he slapped it aside: _not now!_ "I don't know what the hell Sasuke's thinking half the time!" Which was a partial lie; he just hadn't known about _this_. "And why the hell am I responsible for him?"

Kiba opened his mouth as if to say something, then abruptly closed his mouth and glared at the blond instead. He didn't need words to read that expression: _If you hadn't brought him back… _"Look, I was just pissed, okay?" he kept his eyes away from Naruto's. "Forget it. If you didn't even know, then neither does Sakura, right?"

_Oh, shit!_ Naruto winced. "Look, Kiba, I don't—"

"Don't apologize for him, Naruto," the other man cut him off with a brisk wave of his hand. "If it had been you proposing to her, I may not have minded so much…" his glare lost a bit of his animosity. He finally met Naruto's eyes. "I'm just…a little lost here."

_That makes two of us. _Naruto swallowed back something that attempted to rip free from his throat. He thought it might have been a scream. "Me too," he shook his head. "Look, I can't talk anymore right now. I have to get ready for a mission…" _And kick some sense into Sasuke before I leave._

"Yeah," Kiba turned to go. He took two steps, then paused. "Hey, Naruto?"

"Yeah?" the blond had turned to go as well and stopped at the call.

A tense silence, and then: "Why the Hyuugas? Why couldn't he have just picked any one of his rabid fangirls? Why Hinata…?"

Naruto could have almost sworn he heard a sob come from behind him. He clenched his fists and jammed them into his pockets, something alien and uncomfortable looming within the pit of his stomach. "I don't know," he spoke quietly. And Kiba nodded, leaving the other man behind.


	24. Fall, 4

He was sitting in the same place as before, drinking warm tea instead of coffee however. The door once again exploded inward, but there was nothing in his mouth this time, so he just gave a small cry of surprise and looked at the gaping entranceway, pretty sure of what had just happened but trying not to jump to conclusions...

"_What the HELL, Sasuke!_"

Well, he was right.

Sighing as his heartbeat quickly returned to normal, Uchiha Sasuke placed his cup on the tabletop and folded his arms neatly on top of one another, staring calmly at the hunched, slightly insane-looking figure in the doorway. He waited for the rant that would follow.

"What the _hell_ are you thinking!" Uzumaki Naruto barged into the house, leaving the crippled door behind. "Do you have screws loose? Did breaking that many bones fuck up your sense, somehow? I mean, _what the fuck_, Sasuke?" He took a deep breath: "And what about everything we talked about the other day? Did nothing I said get through that pretty little head of yours?" _Pretty?_ "We were talking about love, dammit, _love!_ You don't _love_ Hinata or her sister, so what's the deal? Huh? I almost got my ass kicked today, thanks to you! I think the least I deserve for that is an explanation for what the hell you thought to do after I left yesterday!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Done?"

"No!" the blond shot him a dirty look. "Asshole!"

"Naruto," he started calmly, hoping to reel in the other man with his level tone, "I'm aware of what we talked about yesterday. And our talk made me think of a few things after you left. I decided that it's about time I started with my second goal in life, now that the first is over and done with." He narrowed his eyes slightly, indicating his seriousness. "You're right; I don't love either of the Hyuuga women. But love has nothing to do with the revival of an entire bloodline." Naruto was staring at him like he was some kind of strange creature. "Look, all I want is an heir to carry on the Uchiha blood, and eventually grow the clan back to its original size.

"Did you know that the Hyuugas and the Uchihas were once one in the same clan? The Uchihas were actually the offspring of the Hyuugas that bore children with someone from outside the bloodline. If you think of it another way," he grinned humorlessly, "the Sharingan is a bastardized type of Byakugan."

"I don't care _what_ it is, okay?" Naruto snarled. "Why are you _doing_ this? Didn't you think that maybe the Hyuuga's didn't _want_ to get married just yet?" The one he was thinking about and was most concerned with was Hinata: what if her father picked her to marry Sasuke because the asshole believed she was the weaker of his two daughters, and the Byakugan may be overpowered by the Sharingan in that case? It made him sick to think about.

"If the daughter he chooses opposes, I will, of course, settle for the other."

"Do you _hear_ yourself!" Naruto waved his arms over his head, as if trying to grasp for either patience or sense. "The whole goddamn world does _not_ revolve around you, Sasuke! What if _neither_ of them want to marry your emo ass?"

"One of them will."

"_Listen _to you—"

"Why do you even care, Naruto?" Sasuke cut in, his impatience beginning to show. "Who I choose to marry in order to revive my clan _isn't_ something for you to worry about, is it?"

Naruto suddenly looked lost, and he sputtered, flailing for something that made sense. "I—You… It's not fair to them, and… Sakura…" A more-coherent thought came to him and he clung to it, still looking nervous. "It's so sudden! And with what happened earlier this year, I don't think he'll be so eager to just _give_ you one of his daughters!"

"Again, _why do you care_?" Sasuke hissed.

There was a long, pregnant pause between them. Naruto slowly relaxed, his shoulders slumping and his expression filtering from anger to confusion to helplessness. Sasuke watched the transformation, a little surprised and a great deal bewildered.

"I don't know, Sasuke," Naruto finally spoke. "Maybe I care because I'm your friend, and I don't think it's right—for you or for them—to go around deciding other people's fates like this." He shook his head. "But maybe you're right; maybe I shouldn't care because it's not my business. Just as long as you're happy, right?" His expression turned slightly sour. "So, fine. Do whatever you'd like. I'm sorry I bothered you."

Sasuke could only blink at his confession. The blond abruptly turned and walked back out the way he had come in, his feet crunching on the splintered pieces of the doorframe but he didn't stop or give any indication that he noticed, he just kept going. "Naruto…" Sasuke called, trying to turn him around, trying to say something that he thought he needed to say but didn't quite know the words to say it. The other man ignored him and was soon gone from the Uchiha Residence. Sasuke's eyes went from the door to his cup still sitting on the table, its contents now long-cold. He sighed.

* * *

He started to leave Konoha as a deep evening shadow fell across the streets. Haruno Sakura walked beside him, her usual green-clad tag-along knowingly deciding his presence wasn't needed (his teammate Hyuuga Neji had already told him the news). Naruto's face scrunched up as they walked, sifting through all the possible conversation openings in his head, trying to figure out how to break this news to her before someone else did. Being her teammate, along with the dumbass Uchiha, he felt he was entitled to tell her what was going on. _I just hope she doesn't have a breakdown over it while I'm gone, _he grimaced.

"Naruto, you look constipated," she chuckled.

"What, hey!" he snapped and glared at her, her mirth breaking him out of his swirling thoughts.

"I'm just curious to know what it is you're thinking of, to cause such an expression," she shrugged. "If it _is_ thinking. Does it hurt yet, Naruto?"

"Oh, shut up, Sakura," he groaned, trying to make himself disappear on the spot. _I don't want to tell her, but I have to!_

"Really, Naruto," her grin faded. "What's wrong with you? You've been acting weird ever since you asked me to walk with you out of the city."

"I'm just…" he sighed. "I don't know; trying to think of the right way to start, I guess."

Sakura was briefly reminded of another walk that had happened about a week ago. "I hope this isn't about my choice in boyfriends, Naruto," she rolled her eyes.

"No!" he looked away, red-faced. "Not really…"

"Look," she sighed, "Lee is a really good guy, and he's serious about us, so it isn't just—"

"It's about Sasuke," he interrupted her.

She gave him a confused look. "What about Sasuke?"

Naruto struggled to find the right words, something that could help him break the news to her a little more gently. He finally decided it was best not to beat around the bush. She _would_ find out, and better from him than another random villager.

"Sasuke's getting married."

She stopped walking. He turned back to her, stopping as well. Her eyes were wide, her face slack. Then she broke out into a wobbly grin and started forward again: "Yeah, nice try, Naruto."

"I'm serious." They began to walk shoulder to shoulder, and he frowned over at her. "Why would I lie?"

"I don't know," she confessed. "Maybe you just don't want me dating Lee, and thought…"

"Look, forget about Lee, okay?" he snapped a little too harshly. "I think Sasuke's truly lost his mind here!"

"Who is she…?" She looked like she really didn't want to know.

"One of the Hyuugas," he scowled, facing forward so as not to direct his rage on her. "Apparently, thoughts of reviving his clan drove him over to their house yesterday and he asked for one of the two daughters." As a bitter afterthought: "Their father agreed to it."

"And you didn't try to stop him?" she sounded angry.

"I didn't know he was going to run off and propose to someone at around dinnertime!" he cried indignantly. "It's not my fault that once he gets a crazy idea, he's gotta go chasing after it!"

She relaxed a little. Naruto was right—it wasn't his fault. Still, something bothered her… "The decision was so sudden though, wasn't it? I mean, he was perfectly fine living alone just the other day."

Naruto winced. He didn't want to tell Sakura that it was _kind _of his fault just yet. "God, I don't know," he closed his eyes. They reached the huge, towering gates of the village entrance and stopped walking, turning to face each other.

"How did you find out?" Sakura asked.

"Kiba attacked me on my way home from the old hag's office," Naruto made a face, scratching his cheek and averting his eyes. "And he found out from Hinata."

"Well, they are teammates," she nodded. "And teammates are supposed to…"

"Sakura, I really didn't know," he looked into her eyes pleadingly. "I was just as shocked as you. I mean, I even went to Sasuke's house and chewed him out!"

This made her laugh, despite how she was feeling right now. "How did that go?"

"You know him," Naruto rolled his eyes and made his face serious, doing his best impression of a scowling Sasuke: "_Why do you care?_" Of course, his impersonation was an octave higher, making Sasuke sound like a whiny girl. And this, again, made Sakura laugh. When she stopped, Naruto was grinning awkwardly at her. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. "Because I've gotta get going, and if you're going to have a nervous breakdown over this while I'm gone, I'll totally feel like crap…"

"I'm not going to have a nervous breakdown," she smiled back but her heart squeezed painfully. The news about Sasuke hurt a lot, but another ache came from the fact that Naruto worried for her, even though he was pretty torn up inside too. "Now, go on. If you don't stop walking tonight then you should meet up with the Kazekage and his two escorts tomorrow afternoon."

"As long as you're sure you're okay…" he glanced at the exit.

"I'll go yell at Sasuke too," she snickered. "That might make me feel a little better."

Naruto chuckled. "It's always fun to yell at Sasuke." He took in a deep breath, turning to the gate. "Well, here I go!"

"Good luck, Naruto," she smiled. He returned it, starting out of the village. Her smile faded as the moon broke out from behind a line of clouds, illuminating him as he walked away. _Thanks for telling me, Naruto._ _And…_

_Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Sakura._ Naruto's grin fell off his face as the moon slowly rose to greet him. _And…_

_Thank you, for __car__ing about me._


	25. Fall, 5

**Notes: **Thanks so much for your positive comments, guys. They got me through a really shitty week. And, as a bonus, since I haven't updated in a while, I finished the entire Fall segment, just for you guys. Hope you like it, because it feels a bit rushed to me. But at least it moves the story along! Damn filler.

* * *

**_5_**

Going without sleep for over twenty four hours didn't really phase him, as everything that had happened earlier would only keep him awake anyway. But by the time the sun had completed its rotation and sat high in the sky overhead glaring down at him, Uzumaki Naruto found himself wishing he'd at least taken a nap before he had left. _If I didn't think of doing it before,_ he thought with some mild amusement, though it was lost on his tired brain, _I'm definitely going to kill Sasuke when I see him again._ Just what was it that the Uchiha-bastard found particularly funny about constantly doing mind-numbing one-eighties that confused potential onlookers? One would think that the dark-haired man _enjoyed_ upsetting his teammates all the time.

He passed by the last straggle of trees marking the border of the Leaf Country and cast a curious glance in their direction as he meandered closer to the ocean. From the port village where he was supposed to meet the Kazekage and the other two escorts, it would take them three days by boat to reach the island country of Wave. Walking back down this path, making this same trip across the ocean, reminded Naruto of his very first high-ranking mission with Team Kakashi all those years back. He remembered Tazuna, Inari, Zabuza, and Haku. Those thoughts momentarily pulled him down into a dark train of thinking, leaving the earlier worries behind.

The ceaseless lap of the water against the shore, against the stone pillars. The steady _thunk-kink_ of hammers and the hum of machinery and the voices of men raised over the din, calling orders and words of encouragement. The silence of the heavy, cold mist that settled over their battles; Zabuza's harsh laugh coming from everywhere, all around. The pain in his left hand, his forehead, all over his body: the night wind whistling past his ears as he and Sasuke raced for the top…

The wind got louder.

Naruto snapped himself out of his memories and turned around to see twin spirals of razor-sharp tornadoes barreling down on him. He yelped and threw himself out of the way, watching the small funnels dig shallow furrows in the rich earth. He shook his head to clear it and tried to get up but discovered with a sinking feeling that his hands and ankles were clamped by wooden-looking appendages sticking up from the ground. _More than one opponent—! _He managed to scream at himself as a large body shook itself out of the earth and towered over him, a gaping hole in its midsection threatening to swallow him whole. Naruto let out a gurgling scream before being stuffed into the dark opening. It snapped closed with a sharp _shink!_ sound and instead of a scream, a puff of smoke emanated from the gut of the puppet.

"Hn," Kankuro chuckled, amused. "Substitiution."

"The Leaf's famous for that one," Temari hopped down from the nearby tree and glanced around. "Especially that brat and his whole entourage of Baby Leaves."

"So where'd he go?" the hooded man scanned the area with dark eyes.

"Hm," Temari turned her head slowly, first one way, then the other, searching for the blond ninja. "Not left… Not right…" She threw a careless glance upward. "Not above…"

A rumbling sound came from beneath their feet. Both Temari and Kankuro stared downward as two hands thrust up from the earth and snatched at them. The older woman leapt nimbly out of the way, flicking her large metal fan open and catching herself atop it, using the momentum from her jump to carry her safely out of harm's way. Her brother was not so lucky. The hand caught and held his ankle and yanked down savagely. With a surprised look, Kankuro disappeared into the dirt as Uzumaki Naruto sprung out, a wicked grin on his tanned face.

"That's a nice look for you," he told the head sticking up out of the ground, and Kankuro scowled at him for two seconds before a _poof_ and a cloud of smoke revealed him not to be Kankuro at all, but the puppet that had initially attacked him. From further behind him he felt the slight movements of chakra strings vibrate through the air, signifying a puppeteer's command to his instrument. Naruto tucked and rolled forward, reaching into his hip pouch and digging out three kunai, glancing at the distance between him and the man in black from between his legs as his body completed the tumble. As soon as he righted himself he took aim and chucked them all, aiming for the string manipulator instead of the obvious wooden target. Kankuro noticed the black knives slicing across the distance toward him and moved his hands, commanding his puppet to block the attack, but Naruto already knew he wouldn't be fast enough—

A spiral of wind knocked the weapons away and Naruto glared at Temari, who was readying her fan for another assault. He prepared himself, getting into a crouching position. "That's enough," a calm voice broke through the tense air, making the three combatants automatically shift out of 'attack' mode.

"Gaara!" Naruto threw his arms open wide, pure and simple joy at seeing his old friend again. The red haired Kazekage stepped closer to the three and nodded, not a trace of a smile on his solemn face, but his bright green eyes—the dark circles around them substantially less-eminent—twinkled with happiness.

"Naruto," he nodded his head. "Good to see you're still as sharp as ever."

"At least when it comes to fighting," his older sister snorted, closing her fan and leaning against it casually, all the fight gone from her once her little brother had initially spoken.

"What's that supposed to mean!" the blond man growled.

"See?" Kankuro stepped closer to his siblings, shaking his head in mock exasperation. "That's exactly what we're saying: you're good in a fight, but there's nothing much up here," he tapped his temple with one finger.

"Luckily, I didn't hire him for his brains, hmm?" Gaara _did_ smile this time; a soft, tiny grin that curved one corner of his thin mouth.

"Not you too," Naruto groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead.

* * *

Naruto awoke with a slight start. He didn't move but flicked his eyes about, trying to see where he was and what had caused him to wake up. Water lapped gently nearby, sounding slightly hollowed in his ears—he was in a boat. The sleep-haze lifted and his memories came into focus: He was on a mission, escorting the Sand Country's Fifth Kazekage to the smaller island country of Wave, where they would meet a representative from the distant Cloud Country. The meeting, he had been told, was to establish friendly ties between Sand, Water, and Cloud, the latter never really being close to any of the other shinobi countries, great or small. It had been an idea proposed by the young Sand kage, Gaara.

_Gaara. _Naruto sat up and turned to look behind him. The red-haired man was waiting patiently for himself to be noticed, his arms crossed over his chest as always. The large clay gourd that he usually wore upon his back however was not there this night. _Night_ Naruto briefly glanced up to the dark sky before addressing the Kazekage. _Night already? Geez, I've slept all day!_

"You've been asleep all day long," Gaara echoed his thoughts, coming down the two wooden steps and sitting beside the other man. "You must have been tired."

"I didn't really get a chance to sleep last night," the blond chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

"We would have waited for you, Naruto. You didn't have to rush."

Gaara's calm demeanor had a way of rubbing off on him, just like someone else he knew. Naruto leaned back and looked up at the sky, letting out a small sigh. "I know. I just…didn't want to sleep."

Sharp green eyes slid over his profile in the moonless dark: "You're upset about something."

"Am I that easy to read?" Naruto scoffed.

"Sometimes," the other man shrugged. "But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I haven't seen you in a really long time, Gaara," Naruto's tone was indiscernibly soft. "Tell me how you are first."

"I'm fine," the Kazekage nodded slowly. "It took me a few weeks to fully recover from the after-effects, but with Temari hounding the entire medical squad, I was treated well."

The blond laughed. "You guys seem to be getting along just fine," he commented.

"I guess so," he replied with another shrug.

"Definitely," Naruto confirmed with a firm nod.

"Now you," Gaara nudged him slightly with his elbow. "And we talked about the mission earlier, so don't ask me to explain it again."

Naruto groaned and rolled his eyes. There went his escape topic. "I'm fine," he tried to shrug it off. "Nothing's new."

"I heard you finally found Sasuke."

He winced. "Yeah, he's back home. Still an ass, as usual," he added with a face.

Gaara took it all in. "So, you two aren't getting along after all of that?"

"No, we're getting along fine," Naruto wrinkled his nose, trying to dance around what Gaara was undoubtedly aiming for. "He's just dumb and hard-headed as usual."

Another pause: "What did he do now?"

Naruto sighed; there it was. He debated lying to Gaara about it, but figured what was the point? It shouldn't bother him to talk about it this much, after all. He should be able to get over Sasuke's stupid antics fairly quickly by now, right? So then why, whenever he thought about it, did his blood start to boil? He made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat, reaching up and tugging his lengthening blond hair, trying to make the words come. He decided—as he had before, when addressing Sakura—that to be blunt would be best: _Get to the point, and get it over with._

"Sasuke's getting married," he noticed off-handedly that the phrase sounded bitter and choked in his throat.

Gaara seemed surprised by this; he gave the blond a slow blink, as if the very notion of the Uchiha getting married defied reason. Finally, though, he spoke: "And you're not happy for him?"

"Of _course_ not!" Naruto exploded. "It's not even as if he's marrying because he loves her or anything! That, at _least_, I could agree with. But this—" he gestured as if the act were something tangible, right there in front of them, "—I can't _begin_ to understand what he's thinking!"

"Who is he—?"

"One of the two daughters of the Hyuuga clan. You remember the two kids from the Chuunin Exams with the white eyes?"

"That girl?"

"Her or her sister."

"…" Gaara contemplated for a minute. "Did he tell you why?"

"He says it's because he wants to restore his bloodline," Naruto snarled at the memory of the confrontation in Sasuke's home. "He was spouting some nonsense about the Hyuugas and the Uchihas once being the same clan or something."

"It's probably true," Gaara nodded. "Strong bloodline limits are very rare, and for two to appear in one village, both of them pertaining to eyesight…" he trailed off. Naruto observed the logic and noted it, but it still didn't excuse Sasuke from his stupidity (in his book, anyway).

"It just sucks," he finished lamely, not even touching on the range of emotions he had toward the engagement. The two friends looked at each other as the moon finally, slowly, came over the horizon, giving pale light to the otherwise sleeping world. Gaara's stare bored into Naruto's, attempting to read his close friend as best he could; it was hard, seeing as the blond had quite a bit of practice at hiding his feelings.

"I think…" the red-head stood, "you should ask yourself why you're so bothered by Sasuke's engagement to the Hyuuga girl."

"Because it's not fair!" Naruto snapped.

"Not fair to whom, exactly?"

The question stunned him. He groped clumsily for the answer he had been telling himself: "It's… For Hinata…or Hanabi, it's not fair…"

"Then you shouldn't be so upset about it," Gaara shrugged. "It's between them, and if they really didn't think it was fair, they'd do something to stop it, right?"

"But…" the blond sputtered.

"Who isn't it fair for, Naruto?" the Kazekage turned and walked back up the steps to the door leading back inside. "You should decide on that before anything else."


	26. Fall, 6

They watched the boat pull away from the dock and become a small shape against the dark water before turning and making their way into the boundary of the Wave Country. They walked in silence for the majority of the afternoon, and as evening fell, the party reached the bridge they would use to cross into the country's heart. Naruto, excited about seeing one or two familiar faces again, trotted onto the wood-plank, concrete-supported bridge, but stopped when he realized he was the only one. He looked back at his companions.

"Hey, what's the hold up?" he called. Kankuro merely gave a little chortle and strode onto the bridge, passing the blond. Temari shifted her eyes from somewhere above her to Naruto's face and back toward the sky. Naruto followed her gaze up to see she was reading a sign suspended over the start of the bridge. "What's going on?" he came back toward them.

"Naruto, have you been to the Wave Country before?" Gaara asked him.

"Yeah," the question confused him. "Once when I was a genin. Why?" Temari broke into a fit of laughter and passed Naruto on his way back, following her other brother. He cast a curious glance after her before going over to Gaara's side. The red-haired man was staring up at the sign, his head tilted slightly to one side, his face serious but his eyes amused. Naruto looked up with him.

And stared.

"Do you make it a habit of leaving your mark wherever you go?" Gaara shot playfully, following his siblings onto the bridge. Naruto could only continue to stare and something suddenly began to fill his chest, threatening to burst out of him. Tears stung his eyelids and he realized he had been holding his breath. Slowly, carefully, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing, the blond read the sign again:

**_THE GREAT NARUTO BRIDGE_**

* * *

"We booked three rooms," Temari explained. "One of you is rooming with Gaara as a safety precaution. Naruto's shadow clone bushin and Kankuro's puppet substitution are both good techniques to use as a distraction for any potential attackers." 

"We could take turns," Naruto suggested.

"Sounds good," Kankuro agreed. "I'll take the first night."

"We'll only be here for four days, so that's two nights each," Temari nodded her agreement to the arrangement. Gaara really didn't care either way, and continued to eat his dinner in silence. "We'll get to sleep early tonight because there's a meeting at nine a.m. tomorrow," she continued to explain. "It should be over at around three, so Naruto, if you want to visit anyone then, you can."

"Cool," he grinned through a mouthful of ramen. "I'll go see Inari." It came out as: "Ah oh ee Hihahi."

"Right…" Temari frowned at him while Kankuro tried not to laugh. "Just don't disappear. Meet back here by ten p.m."

* * *

He walked with his hands in his pockets, turning his head this way and that, taking in all the changes since he had last been here (from what he could remember, anyway). The buildings looked less run-down, and the market bustled with activity. Instead of dirty little ragamuffin thieves, happy children that looked well-fed and well-rested ran through the throngs of buyers and sellers, laughing and shrieking over the din of normal conversation. The atmosphere was completely different from before. _Tazuna was right_, Naruto mused with a grin on his round face. _That bridge really _did_ turn this village around._ He shook his head in amazement. _The Great _Naruto _Bridge? I can't believe it!_

In the grip of his thoughts, he didn't see the woman until he ran into her. He grunted in surprise and she gave a little cry, tumbling to the ground. "Oh, geez, I'm sorry!" Naruto flushed, reaching down and taking the woman by the arm, helping her to her feet. Her wares had spilled out onto the floor: fish. Naruto cringed, "I'm _really_ sorry about that."

"It's okay," she gave a slight smile, righting the basket the fish had been nestled in. "I'm going to clean them anyway."

"Here, let me," he knelt and picked up the five fish gingerly, afraid of doing anything else wrong. She laughed at his actions.

"Thank you," she smiled at him and he grinned back apologetically. Her smile suddenly faded and she studied his face closer, the action making him feel suddenly nervous. Abruptly, she shrieked in surprise and dropped her basket of fish again and he stared at her in confusion, as did some other shoppers close by. She gave him a beaming smile: "Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto!"

"How did you—?"

"It's me!" she smiled up at him. "Inari's mother!" It clicked. Her face was lined with a few wrinkles and her long black hair was beginning to show streaks of grey, but it was still her.

"Tsunami!" he cried, overjoyed, gathering her in a hug. She laughed happily, hugging him back. "Oh, wow! How are you?"

"Wait!" she ignored the question, suddenly standing on tiptoe and trying to see above the heads in the crowd. "Inari!" she called loudly. "Inari!"

"What happened, mom?" a tall young man slipped out of the crowd and nimbly made his way over to them. Naruto openly gaped. This handsome, lithe teenager _couldn't_ be the bumbling crybaby Inari!

"Honey, look!" she pulled Naruto forward. "Look who it is!"

The boy was faster than either the blond or his mother. "NARUTO!" he gave an exuberant shout and swung out a hand.

Naruto caught the hand and clasped it firmly in his, grinning from ear to ear. "Yo! Long time no see, crybaby!"

The dark-haired kid grimaced. "No more of that, thank you."

"Inari's grown up so much since we last saw you, Naruto!" Tsunami ruffled her son's hair affectionately and he blushed, averting his eyes to the floor. He blinked.

"Um, mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"The fish," he pointed.

"Oh!"

"My fault," Naruto cut in quickly. "I'll make it up to you both by buying dinner." He was too excited to stand still. "Come on, let's go!"

* * *

"Inari tells anyone that will listen that he's friends with the famous Uzumaki Naruto," Tsunami's eyes gleamed as she smiled teasingly at her son. 

"Oh, come on, mom," he rolled his eyes, pulling his hat (the same exact one, Naruto recalled with some amusement) down low over his eyes and tried to hide behind the water glass in front of him.

"Tazuna's a card," the blond chuckled as he thought of the bridge and fished his chopsticks into his ramen. "How is he?"

"He passed away last fall," Tsunami spoke sadly. A heavy silence fell over the table. Naruto almost dropped his plate.

"I… I'm sorry," he stammered.

"It's not your fault," she waved it off with a weak smile. "He just…didn't wake up one morning. At least it was peaceful." She laughed a little bit. "I always had nightmares that he would get killed in a freak construction accident or something, so it's kind of a relief, don't you think?" Naruto didn't know what to say, so he kept his mouth shut, not knowing what to do with his hands. Should he keep eating? How long was he supposed to properly mourn at the sudden news? What would he _say_? "Inari's apprenticing to become a contractor, just like his grandfather," the older woman beamed affectionately at her son, who had become overly-quiet. "With the father and grandfather he had, I thought it was fitting," she chuckled. "But now I'm going to have nightmares about freak accidents with _him_ instead."

"I…" he tried to say something. He tried to tell her not to worry about his feelings and carry on as if it really didn't bother her. It all caught in his throat and his adam's apple moved up and down and his lips parted, but no sound came out. Inari finally looked up from his plate and Naruto saw that his eyes were threatening to tear, but he was keeping himself under control. That brought his own reeling thoughts into check, and he smiled softly at them both. "I liked the old man. He had a lot of fight in him." He sniggered at the memory of leaving Konoha with their charge. "He didn't think too much of me at first, I will say that."

"How are the others?" Inari asked, both genuinely curious and driven by the need to steer the topic away from something so raw. "Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke? Are they here too?"

Naruto involuntarily cringed at the last name. "Er, no. It's just me. Sakura's got a job back in the village as the hospital's head medical nin. Sasuke…" he thought of how best to put it. "Well, he's getting married soon." The careless tone was forced, and the thought of it stung more than the news of Tazuna's death.

"That's wonderful!" Tsunami grinned. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"Ah, I don't know," he lied. "Some fan girl of his."

"Sakura must be jealous," Inari snickered into his food. And the conversation finally passed on to less-personal subjects. While listening to mother and son chatter about village happenings and the story of Tazuna's petition for the name of the bridge, Naruto remembered something else. _But not right now,_ he told himself. _This is their time now. I'll go tomorrow._ And he laughed with them and ordered seconds and later on, walked them home, promising to visit once more before he left.

* * *

He'd decided to do it at dawn, and with a well-constructed shadow clone, Naruto headed off. He passed by one or two fishermen on the way out of the village, turning off the main road and slipping into the trees silently, trying not to disturb anything nearby. His feet silently took him through the tall, balding trees, and slowly his recollection began to guide his feet, leading him to a large clearing dotted with bunches of wild flowers and herbs. He scanned the trees with his eyes quietly, searching. When he found the markings, he smiled to himself and kept walking. 

Farther into the trees he went, following a gentle slope up to a rise where the trees thinned out again, making a smaller clearing. Two graves lay here among the overgrowth that had run rampant in the past years, nearly covering the crude wooden crosses that marked them. One had a faded waist wrap spiraled tightly against its angles, looking worn and weathered but still complete and still a representation of the boy he once knew. The other had once been overshadowed by a huge long sword that had been known once as the Great Beheading Sword, one of the seven legendary swords passed down through the ninjas of the Bloody Mist. It was gone, and Naruto knew where. He had seen it on the back of one of Sasuke's team-members—Suigetsu. It was now in the Neutral Lands, marking the dead earth where the intense fighting between Akatsuki and the Hidden Village of the Leaf took place.

"Hey," he began, not sure where to go from there. While Haku he had at least come to understand, Momochi Zabuza had been the devil in disguise till the very end. _At least,_ he thought with perhaps a little bitterness, _he made up for it one final time._

"I'm definitely a lot stronger then I was when we first met," he shoved his hands into his pockets, toeing the dirt with one sandaled foot. "And it's thanks to you guys. You showed me how not to lose sight of what's most important. You taught me that I can make my own path, and I'm not tied down by the title of 'ninja'." He took a deep breath. "I owe my success as a shinobi to both of you."

The grave markers were impassive, taking in his confessions and responding to them as a soft sigh of wind rustling through the long grasses. He could feel the sacredness of this place close in around him, as if sealing him in another world, sending him hurtling back into the past. He saw the countless nights of struggling to the top, competing with his first and best friend. He saw the unfinished bridge hugged by thick, choking mist. Saw the gleaming sheets of ice pressing in toward him, trapping them. The fierce red of blood as Sasuke's sharingan finally came to life within him, saving them. Saving _him._ He saw the snow-white needles plunged in and around and through his arms and neck and legs and the blood falling to the floor and the cold, pale, lips that spoke to him in his seemingly last moments of life.

_'You…don't die.' _Sasuke's voice came to him, so soft and weak and fleeting, like a feather tumbling down from the sky, slowly and unsteadily._ 'Please, don't die…'_

And Naruto recalled the smell of his blood; it filled his senses, he wore it like a second skin. The eyes, that had once been a bright, fierce red, dulled and became reflections of their original amber hue (because Sasuke's eyes weren't black, they were the color of deep honey, thick and dark), and his hand, the one that had been reaching for him, to touch him, fell.

"Why me?" Naruto echoed the question he had asked so long ago and wondered again now. "I didn't ask you to do it, so why protect me?"

And as if to answer, Haku's voice fell upon his ears, blurring the line between past and present: _'He landed a blow and without flinching, died to protect you. To protect a precious person, knowing that it was still a trap…'_

"To protect something…precious?" he mumbled, on the verge of some deeper understanding. It was almost within his grasp, the reason why he was so upset, the reason he didn't like sharing Sasuke's attention with anyone else, the reason he had really chased after the other man all those years…


	27. Fall, 7

"You look a lot better," Gaara noted off-handedly as they made their way across the bridge, leaving Tsunami and Inari behind. Naruto—who had been waving to them as he walked backwards—dropped his hand and turned to face forward, giving his friend a curious half-smile.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Gaara glanced back at the two people and nodded at them, and Naruto felt a warm, pleasant feeling as two parts of his life joined into one. He rarely got to experience that, and liked it. _I wish __Gaara__ had the chance to meet __Haku__…_

"Your friends," he returned his stare to the front, "this trip, something did it; you're not dragging yourself around anymore."

"Was I?" the blond chuckled slightly. "Maybe it was you, with your little inspirational talk a few nights back."

The red-haired kage made a face that looked as if he didn't believe it. "Did you answer the question?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "I understand now."

"So, was I right? Are you in love with Sasuke?"

The blond stopped dead.

"Am I wrong, then?"

"But I…" Naruto gulped. "I didn't…say anything…"

"I can read you, Naruto," the other man continued walking and Naruto had to jog to catch up and hear the rest of what he had to say. "We're the same, you and I. When the people we care for don't give us attention, we become jealous, and find it unfair." He gave a little grin at that. "We become angry and withdrawn."

"But…is it obvious…?" Naruto blushed. He _blushed_.

If he weren't having a rather important conversation, the Kazekage would have laughed at the endearing expression on his friend's face. "No," he shook his head, "it's not obvious. But it is there, if one were to look hard enough."

Naruto let out a relieved sigh. "I don't know what to do now, though," he confessed, the remnants of his blush still tingeing his cheeks. "Sasuke's getting married, and I'm…"

"A guy," Gaara finished. "Yeah, that sucks."

"What should I do?" the blond looked lost.

"Tell him," the other man answered instantly.

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because, it won't change what he's going to do! And he'll just laugh at me," he added the last part under his breath, but the other man still heard it.

"Well, admitting that the feelings are there is your first step," he said.

"And the second?"

"Tell him."

"No! He won't understand!"

"You'll never know until you try," Gaara shrugged.

Naruto huffed, making a face. "You're taking this awfully lightly," he grumbled.

Gaara shrugged. "It's not my place to judge your tastes. I'm your friend," the red-head gave him a sudden smile that was beautifully breathtaking in its purity. "Friends are supposed to help and understand each other, right? You taught me that." Naruto was stunned to silence with the smile he had been graced with. Gaara's words had touched him in a way none other's could, because they had once been his. And to be reminded of what was most important from someone he held dear put his mind at ease. But he still wasn't going to go running to Sasuke like a lovesick fan girl.

* * *

They faced each other from opposite sides of the main gate.

"I really wish you'd stay for just a day or two," Naruto frowned.

"No offense, Naruto," Kankuro waved, "but Gaara _does_ have a country to run. He can't be away for too long."

Naruto grunted, half in resignation and half in envy. "Yeah, I know. At least come visit?"

"We will," Gaara assured with a slight nod.

"Good," the blond grinned.

"Naruto, you're back." The voice made all four look around. Nara Shikamaru stepped out from the trees on his right, their left, a large pouch slung over his shoulder and tied across his chest. "Yo," he waved.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Naruto waved back. Gaara nodded. Kankuro waved too. Temari suddenly found the trees very interesting.

"I was out feeding the deer on the perimeter and just got back when I heard voices," he strode over to them, his usual lagging walk almost forgotten. Naruto wondered at the change. "How'd the mission go?"

"It was great!" Naruto exclaimed. "But the meetings were so _boring_!"

"Nothing happened," Gaara shrugged.

"It seemed to go well," Kankuro added. "Cloud and Water dignitaries got along okay enough; that was our biggest worry."

Temari moved her attention from the trees to the sky.

"Sounds successful," he looked at each of them, his eyes lingering a bit more on the blond woman than anyone else. "Are you staying, Kazekage…?"

"No, they have to go back," Naruto made a face.

"Actually," Gaara said, looking back at his sister, "we have some extra time. Right, Temari?"

"What?" she jumped, her eyes coming down on them, flickering almost nervously between the four men. "Y…es, we're ahead of schedule." She flashed her brother a look that could rival his own glower on a good day.

"Well, then that settles it," he openly pretended to ignore her heated stare. "I can drop by the Hokage's office and give her a mission report."

"And can we _please_ get something to eat?" Kankuro spoke up, red-cheeked but adamant. "I'm starving!"

"You can take us, Naruto," Gaara began nudging the blond toward the city streets. "Nara, I'll entrust Temari to you, is that alright?"

"Ah, sure," Shikamaru looked surprised and then nervous. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking over at Temari, who was trying to kill her brother with a single glare.

"Whoa!" Naruto nearly hit the dirt with all the pushing. "Relax! The office'll still be there by the time we finish lunch!" Regardless, he was nudged away, Gaara throwing one last glance over his shoulder at his sister and the Leaf jounin. They stood beneath the autumn sunlight together but apart, Temari trying to say something and Shikamaru trying to think of something.

"Of all the…!" she finally sputtered, too angry and flustered to come up with anything else. _Who does he think he _is_? Designated match-maker!_

_Shit, she looks __pissed,_ he threw a nervous glance at the older woman. _This is really more trouble than __it's__ possibly worth…_ He looked at her profile again. The sun made her blond hair glow. Her crystal green eyes flashed in irritation, but the fire inside made them sparkle all the more. Her cheeks were tinged pink from her anger. She was beautiful.

"…Hey."

"What?" she snapped.

"…do you want to see the sanctuary?"

She turned to him, opening her mouth to make some snappy retort. His eyes caught hers. Temari let her own stare flicker from his narrow black eyes to his thick dark hair tied back, away from his lean face, accenting the strong angle of his jaw. They moved down the trim bridge of his nose and up across the arches of his cheekbones and finally settled on his thin lips. She suddenly felt short of breath.

"The…what?" she barely managed to get out, her anger suddenly a thing from a distant world.

"Deer Sanctuary," he elaborated. "My family owns a part of the surrounding forest, and we raise the deer for the village there." He was surprised at the smoothness of his words and how his tongue didn't fumble them up although it felt thick and tons heavier. "I could show it to you, if you promise not to disturb them."

Temari still felt as if she couldn't breathe. _What's wrong with you? _Her brain shouted at her, _Are you a girl or something? Snap out—_

Yes. Yes, she was a girl. And he was a boy. And that was enough, wasn't it? "I'd like that very much," she said without a hitch, and she smiled.

_I thought she was going to beat me with her fan…_ Shikamaru felt emboldened by her smile. He reached out and took her hand, slightly amazed to find it was much smaller than his own. "Come on," he said, and they went off into the trees together.

* * *

"What do you think we should pick up for Gaara?" Naruto slurped down the remnants of his lunch.

"I don't know," Kankuro shrugged, lifting the ceramic bowl to his lips in a similar fashion and swallowing the broth and leftover noodle pieces. His black hood slipped off his head in the process, falling back against his shoulders. "He eats practically anything, except for vegetables."

Naruto made a face and set his ramen bowl down with a soft _thunk_. "I hate vegetables," he wrinkled his nose. "They taste like dirt."

Kankuro laughed at this and set his bowl back down on the table as well, scratching his mop of reddish-brown hair (it looked surprisingly similar to his younger brother's, now that it could be seen). "Maybe some take-out from that little restaurant you pointed out before."

Naruto nodded. The family-owned Neko Hanten did fast, good take-out. They could pick up something for Temari and Gaara with time to spare. "And some for Temari," he spoke up after he remembered the other sibling. "I wonder why she didn't come with us. And Shikamaru was acting weird too," he added as an afterthought. The other Leaf shinobi had not been himself.

Kankuro snorted. "Man, you really _are_ slow." Naruto shot him a hurt look and the older man sighed. "They like each other."

It took Naruto exactly six point nine seconds to process the news. "But they said—!" he squawked.

"I know," Kankuro grinned. "But Temari's stubborn, and Shikamaru, well…" He tried to select the best word he could think of. "He's odd."

"Temari and Shikamaru… Huh!" Naruto looked surprised and gleeful. "Now you've got a reason to come visit after all."


	28. Fall, 8

They had indeed picked out some things for the missing siblings and arrived back at the Hokage's office with time left to kill.

"How long have they been in there?" Naruto asked the Anbu guard by the door.

"Almost an hour," an unexpected voice cut in from behind them.

"Welcome back, Naruto!" Haruno Sakura waved from beside a hooded man carrying a small gourd strapped to his back.

"We've been waiting to see Hokage-sama," Aburame Shino looked from Naruto to his companion. "Hi, Kankuro. Long time, no see."

"Hey!" Kankuro had no trouble recognizing him. They shook hands. Sakura pulled Naruto aside while the two of them began conversing.

"Have you seen Sasuke yet?" she asked him.

The very mention of his name sent small pains rushing through Naruto's chest. "No, not yet. Why?"

"I talked to him," she glanced around, as if Sasuke himself might have been listening in. "I told him it was too fast and he should think about it logically." She frowned. "He didn't say anything, so I just left."

"Have you talked to him since then?"

"No," she shook her head. "After that, he came here to apply for a position in the Anbu and I haven't seen him."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "The Anbu?"

"Yeah, I don't know where he got the idea," Sakura shrugged. "But I heard it from Hinata, who got the news from Neji. Apparently, the captains of the Anbu are all in an uproar about it."

Naruto opened his mouth to make a comment when the huge double doors embossed with the symbol of the Leaf Village unlocked and swung outward. Tsunande and Gaara walked through them side by side, neither smiling but both looking pleased.

"What's with the tea party in front of my office?" Tsunande raised a penciled eyebrow.

"They all need to see you, Godaime-sama," the Anbu Naruto had addressed earlier spoke up. He could not place the voice.

"I see," her eyes moved along the short line of people, stopping on the blond and the pink-haired girl.

"I'm just here to collect my brother," Kankuro bowed respectably. "Good day to you, Hokage-sama."

"Good day to you, Kankuro of the Sand," she nodded her head in acknowledgement. "The Kazekage and I are done, so you may go." She raised her eyes to the other three. "Aburame, do you mind escorting them to the perimeter? I have pressing matters to discuss with these two first," she indicated Sakura and Naruto, "and I don't want to keep you waiting pointlessly."

"Of course, Godaime-sama," he nodded. Gaara and Naruto locked eyes from across the room. The Kazekage nodded once and gave Naruto a slight smile. Naruto grinned back and waved. Shino, Kankuro, and Gaara turned and exited the building while the remaining three watched them leave.

"The two of you can come in," Tsunande retreated back to her office. "Sakura, I'll hear your report first, then yours, Naruto."

* * *

Not even a bird call shattered the serenity of the sanctuary. It was silent, dead still. Nara Shikamaru was leaning back against a thick tree trunk, watching Temari of the Sand as she pet a young fawn. Its velvety ears twitched backward and forward as it nuzzled its snout into the palm of her hand, begging for more affection. Its mother stood very nearby with her large teardrop-shaped eyes fixated on the woman and her baby. Her tension could be felt in the air. Shikamaru didn't want to upset the deer anymore than necessary, and reached over, laying a hand on Temari's shoulder. Without a word spoken, she understood and gave the animal one last pat on its small head and stepped away. The fawn looked from her to Shikamaru, then turned and bounded awkwardly back to its mother. She waited patiently as the baby fumbled with its long, gangly legs, then led it slowly away, casting one measuring glance back over her shoulder at them.

When he knew the deer were gone from earshot, he whispered: "Time to go back." She looked disappointed, but nodded and began to follow him out. Shikamaru picked the longest trail he could think of, trying to extend his time with her as much as he possibly could. But he lived here and she made her home with her brothers in the Wind Country. He briefly thought of it as unfair, then shrugged it off. _It's not fair or unfair, it just is._ While he walked comfortably in this terrain, he noticed she was having difficulty maneuvering over roots and around branches. With some slight hesitation, he turned and offered his hand to hers. She stopped and he could read the incredulous look on her face, so he shrugged and faced forward, picking up the trail with his feet rather than his eyes. He'd been travelling these same paths since he was a baby, so it was like a second nature to him.

With an abrupt jolt, she crashed against him. He glanced back at her in curiosity. She was blushing and she gestured toward the ground where the roots were thick and overlapping. So she was having trouble after all. Not hesitating this time, he extended a hand. She looked away, shame-faced, and took it. He didn't quite understand it, but the brush of her palm against his and the feel of her fingers linking into his own made his spine tingle and his heart beat crazily in his chest. He instinctively yanked her forward, not harshly, but not gently either. Her eyes widened and she turned her red-cheeked face to his and that was all he saw before his other arm came around in a flash and hooked around her waist, pulling her tight to him as he released her fingers and brought his hand to the back of her head, cupping it, turning it upward, closing his eyes, closing the distance between their faces that he had been calculating in his head all this time…

* * *

"She's late," Gaara said, something in his voice indicating that he might have known the reason why.

"Well, you're the one who pointed out that we had extra time," Kankuro handed his brother one of the take-out boxes and a pair of chopsticks. "Besides, you must be starving." Before Gaara could crack open the box however, Temari and Shikamaru exited the forest.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Shikamaru shoved his hands into his pockets. Temari took several shaky steps forward and rejoined her siblings. Gaara looked amused. Kankuro either didn't notice or pretended not to.

"Here," he gave her the second box and chopsticks. "Eat while we walk; it's getting late." She nodded and took it but didn't say anything. "Thanks for walking us out. We'll be in touch."

"Yeah," Shino nodded, "be careful."

Shikamaru was looking down at the ground and Temari was looking down at the food in her hands.

"Thank you," Gaara nodded and gestured at his brother and sister. "Let's go."

They turned and broke into a quick walk back toward Fire Country's boundary. Shikamaru raised his head to watch them go. Temari quickly glanced backward at them. Both of their faces reddened and Shikamaru dropped his eyes once more and Temari snapped her head back around. Shino thought it was rather cute.

* * *

"Thank you, Sakura," Tsunande gave a rare smile to the head medical nin. The pink-haired woman beamed back, then bowed and glanced over at Naruto.

"I'll leave you to your mission report," she spoke loud enough for Tsunande to hear, then lowered her voice to a whisper. "We'll talk later." Naruto gave the briefest of nods and Sakura strode out. Tsunande wasted no time.

"Gaara tells me that there's a certain bridge we need to discuss."

Naruto laughed. "Yeah, can you believe that? I was only there for, what, a month? And that was back when I was a genin!"

"I believe it," she said softly, and Naruto's laughter abruptly died.

"What's gotten into you, baa-chan?" he chuckled nervously. "You're all serious. Is it a crime to have a bridge named after you?"

"No," she stood up, turning to the giant window that framed her desk and clasping her hands behind her. "It isn't a crime, but it does say something about the person it's named after." Naruto wasn't quite sure how to answer that. Was she teasing him, or…? "You should have noticed by now," she continued, "that' I've been unofficially training you. Sending you on special missions, giving you a chance to voice yourself to the council—" Naruto's memory flashed briefly to Sasuke's trial in her office a little more than half a year previous—"and by simply believing in you. Do you think that just by believing in someone, they can achieve anything?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation, although something in his throat was suddenly choking his words and his breath. When he thought back about it, Tsunande _had_ been giving him what some others would call 'special treatment'. But he had initially believed it was because he wouldn't take shit from anyone, even her, and she knew it. Still, pointing it out like this…

"But before I officially start your training to become my successor," she turned her back to the window, looking at him with something akin to sadness. "I want you to know something."

He was on the brink of something amazingly huge, he could feel it. Was she _really_ offering to train him to become the next…? "What?" he managed to spit out. "Know what?"

"…" she paused, as if she were struggling with it. "I want…to tell you…" She shook her head and cleared her throat, her eyes rising directly to his. She was on the verge of crying. "I want to tell you who your real parents are."

* * *

Umino Iruka was running _very_ late. It was way past dinnertime already, and he had promised his friend Hatake Kakashi that they would eat together, the other jounin confessing that he was terrible at cooking and wanted to eat something other than take-out for once in his adult life. Iruka had agreed readily enough—the only other person he had actually cooked for had long-since grown up and away from him. He thought of his former student with a pang of sorrow and longing. _Naruto…_

A slight creak to his right made him jump and grab a shurinkan from his hip pouch. "Who's there?" he called into the darkness of the academy grounds, his eyes darting this way and that.

There was a pause, and then: "Iruka-sensei…?"

"Naruto!" the green-vested jounin let out a shaky breath, surprised at the presence that had unmasked itself and he could instantly recognize. "What are you doing out here? And at this time of night!" He put the weapon away as the younger man came forward, a haggard look on his tanned features. It seemed as if he wanted to cry, but wasn't quite sure what to cry about. Iruka became (if at all possible) even more concerned. "Naruto? Are you alright?"

In response, the blond fell against him and Iruka fought for balance; thankfully he didn't fall. Naruto clung to him as if he were just twelve years old again, upset over sometimes the smallest thing. This didn't look small, though. "Tsunande baa-chan said…" he gulped, then he _did_ begin to cry, a weak, helpless sobbing that made Iruka cold with fear. What the hell had Tsunande done to upset him _this_ much!

"Come on," he put an arm around his former student. "I'll make you something and then you can tell me, okay?" Naruto nodded against his vest, and Iruka noticed that he had already stopped crying. _Naruto, _he thought grimly as he led the way to his house, _you're a lot tougher then you ought to be._


	29. Fall, 9

Iruka listened as Naruto spilled it all: everything that had bothered him lately, everything he'd been thinking about recently, everything that had happened to him over the past few days. He wasn't at all surprised to learn about Naruto's true feelings toward his black-haired teammate—he supposed he'd at least suspected when Naruto disappeared for nearly three years to train in the attempt of bringing Uchiha Sasuke back home—but the thing that had set the blond over the edge had been the news of his true family.

"She wants to tell me," Naruto concluded. "She said Ero-senin had been debating it for a while before he…" It had been almost two years, but the death of Sanin Jiraiya had hit Konoha hard, and Tsunande and Naruto most of all.

Iruka quickly moved the conversation along before Naruto could dwell. "And did she tell you?"

He shook his head, looking grateful. "No, she said I had to decide if I wanted to know or not."

Iruka studied his former student across the table. He had barely eaten his fill of dinner, and now held the untouched teacup in his hands, more for warmth than access, he assumed. No wonder Naruto was so troubled. After being told for a lifetime that he was a cursed container without a family or a home, here came the knowledge he had longed for all his young existence. But he was afraid of the knowledge, and Iruka couldn't blame him. He had an idea who Naruto's father might be, but to actually _know_… What would the people of the village think?

"You shouldn't care what anyone else may say," he spoke softly, slowly, hoping he sounded comforting enough. "The knowledge is for _you_, and only you. If you choose to share it with anyone else, then that is for you to decide. But Jiraiya-san and Tsunande-sama," he smiled helpfully, "they just wanted what was best for you. The Sandaime, too. I'm sure they were all just waiting for the right moment." His soft smile turned into a beaming one. "And this is definitely it! Congratulations, Naruto! You're finally on your way to what you've always wanted."

"I know…" he half-laughed. "I should be happier, huh?"

"You should tell Sasuke," Iruka said firmly.

"You sound like Gaara," Naruto grinned humorlessly. "But I can't. What would it change? He wants to revive his clan, so let him. I'm actually a little comforted that he's not marrying for love." His eyes looked away from Iruka's. "It would hurt more if he was."

"It's not fair to him," his former teacher admonished. "Sasuke should know how you feel, even if he doesn't return it."

"Not fair to _him_?" Naruto scoffed.

The older man shrugged. "Again, it's your decision. I can't force you. But I am here for you, Naruto, and whatever you think is best, I'll agree to. I just want you to be happy."

"…I don't think I'll ever truly be happy," the blond whispered. "Even with my life's dream fulfilled, I still have nothing. No family… and no Sasuke…"

* * *

Iruka watched his back until the darkness of the late-night street swallowed him. He turned to go inside and came face to face with Hatake Kakashi. He let out a startled little yelp.

"Kakashi-san, what are you—"

"So, you could have dinner with Naruto, but not with me?"

A stab of guilt made Iruka wince. "I'm sorry, I didn't forget, but he needed someone to talk to…"

"It's okay, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi waved it off, going into the house with Iruka following in tow. "I know how important Naruto is to you. He's important to me, too."

"I can heat up something if you're still interested in eating my cooking," Iruka blushed slightly. Blushed? Why on earth was he blushing?

Kakashi looked him over with his one exposed eye. "Id like that, very much," he smiled faintly. Iruka's face reddened even more and the other jounin chuckled. "Thanks for remembering."

* * *

He pulled out his key and fumbled it into the lock.

"Naruto."

And he almost fell into the apartment if it hadn't been for his hand's sudden convulsion on the doorknob. Uchiha Sasuke stepped out of the darkness beside him.

"I heard you came back today," he looked nervous.

"Yeah," Naruto _felt_ nervous. "Come in." He couldn't trust himself to say much else. The two friends shuffled in and Naruto locked the door behind them and flipped on the lights. He moved farther into the one bedroom apartment, tossing his keys onto the kitchen counter and his travel pack on the floor of his living room while Sasuke stood in the almost-foyer, looking uncomfortable and out of place. _Sorry it's too small for your refined taste, Uchiha. _Naruto found he was a lot nastier in his current mood. He flopped down on the worn-out couch, almost not hearing the too-familiar _squeak-creak_ of old, abused springs beneath his weight. Sighing, trying to avoid the unavoidable, he gestured to the other man. "Sit down, Sasuke. Have something from the fridge, if you want it."

The black-haired Uchiha fidgeted for a moment and then came over to the couch, sitting gingerly beside Naruto and seemingly wincing at the pained sound coming from the couch. "I just, you know, wanted to talk about…"

"I think we did enough talking before I left, don't you?" Naruto waved the other man off. He didn't want to hear Sasuke's excuses—there was simply no excuse for him.

Sasuke took the bitter tone without flinching. "You didn't let me defend myself very much," he said.

"Why? Should I have?" Naruto looked away from him, knowing it would be easier to be angry when he couldn't see the other man.

"You were pretty angry," Sasuke agreed. "And I think I know why."

Naruto felt his stomach drop and all his muscles loosen. Oh. Oh, _shit_. "Really?" he managed to sound normal enough, if not a little angry. "Tell me why, since you seem to know everything."

Sasuke's slightly hurt and confused look was lost on Naruto's averted gaze. "You and Sakura think I'm going too fast, right? And you said it was unfair for the daughter I chose." His voice softened. "You still like Hinata, don't you?"

Naruto was shocked into numbness. He turned wide, blinking eyes to Sasuke's pale, serious face and just _stared_ at the Uchiha incredulously, bewilderedly, and humorously all at the same time. His lips twitched once and then he burst into a fit of roaring laughter, the force of it making him double over and clutch his arms across his stomach. Sasuke watched, confused, as Naruto fell off the couch in the grip of his wild laughter and as tears sprang into his eyes and his cheeks became redder and redder with each gasping breath. Eventually, the laughter tapered off, and Naruto hoisted himself up with one arm on the couch, breathing hard and giggling slightly, but otherwise back to normal.

"Man, Sasuke," he laughed, sitting back down next to the Uchiha, "you don't know how much I _needed_ to laugh like that." He chuckled some more and Sasuke only grew more confused. "No, I'm not in love with Hinata," he continued, "that's Kiba's department."

"So, then why are you so upset over my decision?" Sasuke asked, a little put-off by the laughing fit.

"Like I told you," he was still grinning, "I don't think it's _fair_. Hinata and Hanabi might like other people, right? And besides, what about you?" he gestured. "I don't think you love them, so isn't it unfair to yourself as well? You're letting the past dictate your future, and it shouldn't be that way. You should marry the person you love." The laughter had completely ebbed but his smile remained. "I realized that while I was away: I shouldn't be mad at you, because it's your decision. I just want you to know that I don't agree with it, that's all." Naruto himself was surprised by his abrupt mood-change. _I guess if I'm not going to tell him, I can't hold him back from what he wants._ He glanced at the other man from the corner of his eye. _After all, isn't that what love's about? Being happy that the one you love is happy? If this is what he wants, then…I'm happy for him._ "By the way, I heard you were going to try out for the Anbu."

Sasuke, who looked as if he'd been pondering something, shook his head slightly and shrugged. "Yeah. I remember what you said before, about doing something with myself," his lips slipped into the curve of a slight smile. "I decided to go for it. I also kind of thought that I wasn't ready for the whole marriage thing just yet."

"Oh?" Naruto raised an eyebrow and his heart thumped in betrayal.

"I figured I'd let the test decide," Sasuke nodded. "If I pass and become an Anbu, then I'm ready. If I fail, then I'll put it off for a year or two. Maybe," he glanced at Naruto, "I'll find someone by then."

"Yeah, maybe." And he hoped against everything he believed that Sasuke would miraculously fail the examination. But knowing Sasuke, it wouldn't happen. It was just an extension of a deadline he knew would come.

"Hey, Naruto?"

"Hmm?"

"If I pass," he frowned to himself, "and even though you don't agree… Will you be my best man?"

Naruto was briefly torn in two: loyalty to either his friend or his heart. _You can't hold him back if you don't tell him why. _"Sure," he nodded. "Of course I will."

"And just in case," Sasuke added, "I've already decided who it'll be."

"Who?" It would hurt, and he believed he already knew, but he gave Sasuke the benefit of the doubt.

"Hinata," came the answer.

He'd been right. How would he break the news to Kiba? "…she's a sweet girl, Sasuke. Don't hurt her, okay?"

"It's not like I'll do it intentionally, _dobe_," Sasuke snorted.

"Mm… Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"When's your exam?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," he answered. "Why?"

"Do you think…" Naruto took a deep breath. "Do you think you could come see Tsunande baa-chan with me in the morning?"

"What's wrong?" Sasuke frowned. "I thought you reported in already."

"Please?"

Sasuke glanced at his friend. Naruto looked like hell frozen over and thawed out again, at least that's what he'd believed when he'd seen him walking toward his door. He wondered what it was, and thought that perhaps he could understand why tomorrow if he went. He didn't say it aloud, but he was a little worried about Naruto.

"Yeah, I'll come," he nodded.

"Thanks, Sasuke."


	30. Fall, 10

**Notes: **This chapter contains a severely huge spoiler. I'm not making up these names and relations; Kishimoto ACTUALLY GAVE US the names of Naruto's parents. If anyone is reading the manga, it was chapter 367 where they were mentioned. If you don't want to know yet, I'll summarize the chapter here:

Sasuke goes with Naruto early in the morning to talk to Tsunande. She tells them who Naruto's parents are. Naruto faints. When he wakes up, it's nearly five o'clock and Sasuke's nowhere to be found. Naruto rushes to where he thinks the Anbu exam will be held. It's in the academy, and Sasuke takes his mission scroll from the Anbu and starts to head out when Naruto intercepts him. They hold a brief conversation, and Sasuke does something that neither of them expects. Surprised and flustered, Sasuke leaves for his exam mission and Naruto is left feeling confused.

* * *

_**10**_

They went in early, and more for Sasuke's benefit than Naruto's; the Anbu examination was scheduled for five p.m. and the Uchiha would need time to prepare. The streets were almost-deserted this early in the day, the only people up and about being the ones who owned shops and businesses and were on their way to open them. The whole of Konoha would be awake in two hours or so, but Naruto hadn't been able to sleep and finally gave in at around four in the morning, wasting the time between then and picking up Sasuke at his house at seven spent taking a shower and cleaning his mostly-untidy apartment.

"You okay?"

Naruto looked up from his thoughts and got smacked in the face with a cold blast of wind. He shivered and ducked his face back into the thick orange scarf wrapped about his neck. "Fine," he replied, the word muffled by the layers of scarf. Sasuke made a face and pulled one side of the scarf down with a hooked finger. Naruto shied away from his cold touch and the other man rolled his eyes.

"You look bothered about something," he stated.

"Not bothered," Naruto grunted back, yanking the scarf back up.

"Preoccupied, then."

"I'm fine, Sasuke."

The black-haired man knew his friend was lying. He knew Naruto had been untruthful last night and was still lying now. It made him a little angry. "So, you just don't trust me," he said aloud, letting some of the bitterness he felt leak into it. Naruto glanced over at him, clothed in his regular shirt and shorts combo, plus a white knit turtleneck which would normally look quite stupid, but was pulled off stunningly by the Uchiha.

He glanced away before he could begin to openly stare. "That's not true," Naruto shook his head. "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have asked you to come with me."

"Then what is it we're going to see the hokage about?" Sasuke asked, just as curios and worried as he was the night before. "It must be important."

"Yeah," Naruto answered grimly, "it is."

* * *

Tsunande didn't look surprised with the additional audience member. Instead, she gestured for them both to sit down on the couch adjacent to her desk and rose, coming around to the center of the room and staring hard at Naruto.

"Are you sure you want to hear this?" she asked softly.

He gave a jerky nod. "Yes," his voice stuck. He cleared his throat, "I want to know. It won't change anything, anyway."

Tsunande gave him a look that plainly read: _wanna__ bet?_ "I'm not sure if you're aware of this yet, Sasuke," she addressed the other man in the room, "but I've decided to start apprenticing Naruto to become my successor."

Sasuke blinked in surprise. "No, I didn't." He turned to look at Naruto, who did not meet his gaze. "He never mentioned that."

"He just found out yesterday, so don't blame him," she waved off his heated stare. "And before I completely agreed, I told Naruto that I wanted to let him know who his family was."

Another surprised blink from the dark-haired man. "His…family?" his face darkened at the mention of the forbidden word. "He doesn't have a family," Sasuke pointed out rather coldly. "He lives on his own and looks to his teammates as his brothers and sisters." Naruto winced a little at that.

"Regardless," Tsunande frowned at Sasuke, "Naruto did not just magically spring up from thin air. He had a mother and a father, and I want to let him know where he came from before he accepts the most powerful position in the entire country."

"This is going nowhere," Naruto growled at them both, effectively silencing them. "I came here with Sasuke so that you could tell the both of us. Now talk, baa-chan."

"Hmph. Brat," she wrinkled her nose at him. "Which do you want me to tell you first?"

"…my mother." He pulled in a deep, shaky breath and then let it out again in a rush. "Who was my mother?"

Tsunande smiled gently at some fond memory and Naruto wasn't at all surprised to guess that she had known his mother personally. _Figures._ "Her name was Uzumaki Kushina," the older woman began, "and she was a member of the former Whirlpool Country."

"Whirlpool Country?" Sasuke's brow furrowed. "I've never heard of it." Naruto just listened, wide-eyed and silent. His last name hadn't been a fluke, but belonged to his mother. _His mother…_

"Whirlpool was a tiny country located on one of the smaller islands on the border of Wave Country," Tsunande explained. "It was so small that it eventually became absorbed into the Wave, but many of the Whirlpool nins did not agree with the merger. They didn't want to become associated with Wave and the Hidden Village of the Mist."

"The Bloody Mist," Sasuke nodded. "So, they came here?"

"The Fire Country has been long-time allies with the Wave Country, and—when it existed—with Whirlpool as well. We absorbed their ninjas, and that is why the Leaf symbol that represents us has a spiral-shaped center."

Sasuke gave a surprised glance at the carved spiraling leaf that hung over the large desk in the center of the room. Naruto jumped in at the silence. "What was she like?" he asked breathlessly. "Was she pretty? Was she popular? Did she get into trouble?"

Tsunande chuckled. "She was just like you, Naruto." His blue eyes got impossibly bigger. "She was spunky and carefree, and she talked a _lot_," the blond woman grinned. "She was a tomboy through and through. Her favorite thing to do was challenge the boys to sparring matches. And," she added, "she was very beautiful when she grew up. She had red hair and blue eyes."

Naruto gave a curious glance at his own blond locks. "If she had red hair, then my father…?" His words died in his throat. It couldn't _possibly _be…!

"Your father was the one with the blond hair," she nodded, as if somehow reading his thoughts. "He had blue eyes as well."

"Who…?" he couldn't say anymore. His heart was drumming crazily against his ribcage. His eyes were threatening to pop out of his head, to overflow with emotions he was trying desperately to force in place. Inside of him, somewhere deep, the Kyuubi Kitsune stirred in agitation as if it too knew whom Tsunande was referring to. He was dreaming, he had to be. Things like this weren't _real._

"Your father," Tsunande seemed to sense this all within him and tried to speak to him as gently as possible, as if talking to a small child, "was the greatest shinobi that Konoha had ever seen. He defeated the legendary fox spirit almost twenty years ago, and died protecting this very village."

Naruto paled and Sasuke jumped to his feet. "Wait!" he held up both hands as if to fend off what she was attempting to say. "Are you going to tell us that this…this…_dobe's_ father was—"

"Namikaze Minato," she nodded. "Konoha's Legendary Golden Flash, or better-known, the Fourth Hokage."

Sasuke could only turn to Naruto almost helplessly, the look on his face half of surprise and half wonder. "The legendary Fourth is…" he whispered. But Naruto couldn't answer because he had fainted.

* * *

He opened his eyes and saw the too-familiar ceiling above him. He was back in his apartment. _But how?__ I was in baa-__chan's__ office with __Sasuke__ and…_ His world spun and he forced his eyes to close and took slow, deep breaths. That's right; Tsunande had told him who his parents were and he had passed out. But could anyone blame him? A female ninja from a country that had disappeared and the legendary hero, the Fourth Hokage. Would anyone _believe_ him? He sat up, rubbing the back of his head, his fingers stopping to grip the blond locks as if to assure himself they were really there. Blond, like his father. The _Fourth __Hokage_His fingers slipped around to his forehead, touching the headband he wore, feeling the cold metal, pressing the pads of his fingers into the metal grooves, tracing the spiral of the leaf. Of his mother.

His eyes drifted, almost unseeing, around his room, looking for something. A few minutes of random searching turned up nothing, and a disappointed feeling clutched at his chest. Shouldn't Sasuke have been here with him? No, Sasuke was probably home. He was most-likely the one who had taken Naruto back to his own apartment. His eyes fell on the alarm clock at his bedside: four twenty-seven. The exam!

"Shit!" Naruto fumbled out of his bed, got his legs caught in the blankets, fell with a loud _thud_ onto the hardwood floor and cursed again. "Dammit!" He fought his way out from the tangle and leapt to his feet, rushing for the front door. He almost snapped it off its hinges as he shoved it open and slammed it closed, glancing around. Where would the participants of the exam be meeting? "Fuck!" Naruto took a wild guess and ran for the academy at full speed.

* * *

"Ryu, Shindou."

The gangly, slightly taller man beside him stepped forward and reached out a hand to accept his mission scroll. The Anbu passing out the assignments—whom Sasuke recognized as Hyuuga Neji—handed it off to Shindou and without a word the other ninja was gone. Neji's partner, the examiner, continued to read off the list of names in a monotone fashion.

"Kira, Tsukino." A timid-looking girl with a single honey-colored braid running down her back approached Neji. She took her scroll with a resolute nod, turned, and left the academy grounds.

"Sasuke, Uchiha," the examiner seemed to hesitate over his name. Sasuke licked his lips in exasperation but showed no other sign of his impatience. He approached Neji, their eyes locking. The other man gave no sign that he resented him in any way but merely handed him his scroll and gave a slight inclination of his head. Sasuke gave silent thanks with his eyes and left. He passed out from the school's auditorium and into his old academy's main hall, gripping the small scroll tightly in his left hand. He realized belatedly that his palms were sweating. His eyes strayed from before him, glancing left and right into the classrooms around him, catching glimpses of young children sitting behind desks writing, reading, and reciting with their teacher, who was more often than not pointing out something on the blackboard. He was being thrown back into the past, writing term papers and reciting shinobi codes and studying to be the most-powerful ninja that had ever existed in all of Konoha, determined to surpass his brother and rise out of his shadow, swearing on his very existence to kill the man who destroyed his family.

"Sasuke!"

He looked up, pulled from his dark thoughts by a voice that—he would never admit out loud and much less to himself—made his heart skip when it called to him. Uzumaki Naruto rushed along the corridor towards him, waving an arm above his head. He stopped walking and the blond man came to a halt in front of him, bending over and clutching at a stitch in his side.

"Made it…" he gasped. "Whew!"

"Naruto, what are you doing here?"

"I came…" a deep breath, "to see you off." He straightened, one hand still touching his side. "And to say thanks."

"Thanks for what?" Sasuke asked although he knew.

"For coming with me today," Naruto's cheeks were a bit red. From running or something else, Sasuke was unsure. "You know, to baa-chan's."

The dark-haired man sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "It was nothing. I didn't mind going." He was still very awkward about the whole family thing, but he figured Naruto would want him to ask, so he did: "Are you happy you finally got to know about… you know?"

Naruto gave him a smile that knocked all his darker thoughts aside. "Yeah, I am. I mean, I'm still surprised as hell," he chuckled, "but I'm glad." His expression changed to one of slight sorrow. "Besides, even though I know, I'm still alone." Sasuke's heart squeezed painfully. Naruto, like himself, truly knew the meaning of loneliness. But the blond smiled again and something even stronger suddenly gripped his heart. _Don't smile for my sake. Don't smile for me that way._ "Well, not really. I mean, I still have you and Sakura and Iruka-sensei, and that's what matters." _Don't fake it. Don't laugh like it doesn't hurt. I know how painful it is; don't lie for me._ "Anyway, I wanted to wish you luck on your exam and I barely—"

Before he could comprehend why and before he could stop himself, Uchiha Sasuke lifted one hand and slipped his fingertips across the blonde's lips, silencing him. The two of them froze in that moment, Naruto's heart speeding up as the fading redness flared up his neck and face and into his cheeks again. A warm breath washed over his fingers and Sasuke finally realized what he was doing and he dropped his hand quickly, averting his eyes. _What the hell was I doing?_ The two men stood together awkwardly in the hallway until the five-twenty bell gave its shrill ring, shattering the silence. They shook themselves from their dazes as exuberant voices from the classrooms around them swelled to life. Classes were over for the day and the kids would be pouring outside any second.

"See you," Sasuke mumbled, clenching his fists and striding past Naruto, making sure to keep his head lowered.

"Later," Naruto whispered as doors around him swung open and children swarmed into the hall. He turned to watch Sasuke leave, but the other man was already gone. "…Good luck, Sasuke…"


	31. A Winter's Tale, 1

_**A Winter's Tale**_

_There once was a man who feared nothing; no matter what he tried, he could never discover the true meaning of fear._

_**1**_

He knew his body was tired but he ignored it. The air duct he was slithering through was tight and cramped and dark and cold but he ignored that too. In fact, he was particularly good at ignoring things which is probably what made him an excellent ninja. He could ignore his body, his surroundings, and even his feelings. Uchiha Sasuke prided himself on that last fact: he could switch off his emotions like a robot with an on-off switch. When they began to hinder his judgment, he simply closed his eyes, breathed in deep, and locked all of those thoughts and feelings behind an impenetrable door at the very edge of his conscious. A ninja didn't need emotions on the battlefield; it got them into all sorts of trouble.

And he didn't need any more trouble right now. He stopped crawling and peered through the slotted vent down into the room below. The room was full of execs, sitting around a pristine white oblong table, papers and files scattered in front of them. The meeting was already in progress. Sasuke slowed his breathing rate, his eyes sliding partway closed. He could wait as long as it took for his target to end up alone. In his self-induced half-conscious state, he briefly reflected over the mission he had been given as an initiation test to become an Anbu.

The scroll had given a location, a picture labeled with a single name, and an objective: _Assassinate Target. _Below the picture and assignment was a very brief description of the mission background. Apparently, the man he had been sent after was a former dignitary of the Rock Country, and was attempting to give all of his information to their long-time enemies—the River Country—in return for a huge sum of money. The Rock, fearing what this could mean, contacted the larger hidden village of the Leaf and requested a capture and/or assassination of the man in question. They had had the money, so the Leaf accepted.

Now, Sasuke was in the headquarters of the River's Council, tracking the man from the Rock as he went from room to room, meeting with higher and higher members of their council, discussing the type of information, the fee, and the repercussions of a battle between Rock and River. He hadn't heard anything of importance pass between the two parties yet, so he was patiently biding his time. And, just in case he botched it up, there was an Anbu examiner somewhere close by, monitoring his progress. If the Anbu felt the need to step in and interrupt the exam, Sasuke would automatically fail. But he felt confident that wouldn't happen. He had everything under control. When he had initially read the mission scroll, he had been struck with a wave of apprehension. Kill someone? As his very first mission? Wasn't that a little extreme?

He had come up with two reasons for this: One, the Anbu did a lot of Konoha's dirty work like spying and killing and both starting and stopping bloodshed, so a mission like this was perfectly normal to them; Two, they had figured he had already killed someone—his own brother, no less—and was used to the physical and emotional strain a mission like this could give someone. Which was totally untrue. No one could get _used_ to killing… or so he thought. He had talked to some of these Anbu, and there was something within some of them that had been lost or numbed, and they actually looked _forward_ to missions like these. It made him sick to think about, but since it had to be done to pass, he had locked it away behind that door and looked at it as nothing more than another mission.

In all his contemplation, the meeting had passed. Chairs scraped backward, people stood, and his target was one of them. He snapped himself back to the present and got ready to move out. These air vents ran practically all over the building, and to go up and down he simply had to find one of the main ducts and climb either way. It meant a lot of back-tracking and mental mapping, but he was doing just fine. He wasn't as smart as Sakura or Shikamaru, but he could hold his own. The Rock dignitary—his name was Takado—moved from the room and to the hall, making his way to the elevators. Sasuke crawled quickly after him, trying to get at an angle where he could see the floor number on the overhead display. They were on the twenty-first floor now. He got there just as the doors slid open and a handful of people stepped out. He was the only one who went in. _I could do it in the elevator…_ Sasuke thought. But he wasn't sure if anyone else was in there or not, so he wouldn't risk it. But moving to another floor by elevator meant temporarily losing visual and exact position. And even if he could ignore it, he _was_ tired. This hide and seek game had been going on for a good six hours now, and his body was getting stiff in these conditions; never good.

He decided to go for it in the elevator after all. There was an eighty percent chance that if the elevator went up, he would be alone. He'd noticed that the higher they went, the less people there were hanging about. So he wiggled his way into the elevator shaft from the ventilation system just as the doors pinged shut and the gears began to move. The metal box shuddered slightly and started to rise. Sasuke pulled himself out of the shaft and landed silently on top of the moving elevator. He breathed in and out a few times, expanding his lungs, feeding oxygen to his slightly deprived body, and unlocked the emergency hatch. It didn't make a sound. He lifted the thin metal sheet up just enough to peek inside. He couldn't see the very left-hand side of the elevator car, but from what he could sense, Takado was alone. He opened the hatch all the way, and quickly debated if he should drop down into the shaft or lower himself in and anchor his feet. Dropping down and recovering would make noise and take time enough for the target to counter. Lowering himself in would also make noise, but the time aspect was not a problem. He reached into his hip pouch and grabbed the roll of wire tucked in one of the inner pockets and shifted his weight as quietly as he possibly could. With his feet he felt for holds, found them, and locked his waist, lowering his upper body into the elevator.

He let his arms relax slowly into a comfortable reaching distance. He hadn't been noticed. He gently let the invisible wire play out behind the man, lowering the arc of it just below his shoulders. With a snap of his wrists, the wire flew around the man's thick neck and pulled taut, Sasuke balling up his fists and yanking upward savagely. His feet slipped from their places and he nearly tumbled into the elevator as the man instantly began to flail and struggle. He threw his legs open and bent his knees, wedging himself in the opening and keeping himself from landing on top of the other man. He pulled tighter on the wire. Choking, gagging noises came from the man's open mouth as he clawed his own fingers desperately at the wire but the thin, clear weapon eluded his fingernails and embedded itself even deeper into his flesh. The beginning death spasms almost tore Sasuke from the top of the elevator, bracing or not. He transferred his grip on both ends of the wire to one hand and gripped the lip of the opening with the other, hauling himself back up out of the box. The wire began to cut into his palms and he instantly straddled the opening, returning the grip to both hands. He didn't want his blood at the scene, not even the scent of it.

The elevator came to a stop with a slight shudder. Takado's arms went limp. The doors slid open with their cheery _ping!_ and voices came flooding in. _Oh, for fuck's sake_, Sasuke thought grimly and moved away from the opening, glancing around. He saw one of the emergency ladder rungs he had braced himself on earlier and played out the wire as he moved over to it. A woman screamed. He winced and quickly tied it off to the metal piece, snipped the wire with the side of a shurinkan as footsteps rushed into the elevator, and dove back into the open ventilation shaft. He went for the roof. As he rose through the main pipe, his mind couldn't stop from comparing what he had just done to his brother's murder. Finally, he grabbed that thought and threw it into the locked room at the end of his mind. _What's done is done. You've killed someone. It's not new to you. Move on._

Uchiha Sasuke had always prided himself on being able to turn off his emotions, to put away feelings that could possibly cloud his judgment. He was very good at it.


	32. Winter, 2

**Notes: **Honestly, I should have updated this thing AGES ago... Sorry for all of those who were reading. Things got hectic over here, and Sasuke's angst took a backseat to real life. But now that things have calmed down (somewhat), we're back. Thanks for waiting.

* * *

_One day, the man decided to embark on a journey to discover what fear really was, and left his hometown in search of it._

_**2**_

He opened the door. The three people sitting inside looked up from their meeting.

"You must be the rookie," one spoke up and Sasuke bristled. The Anbu instantly noticed. "Hey, I didn't mean anything by it. Come in." He moved his eyes to each of them, taking in their appearances: the one who had spoken up—leaning over with his elbows on his knees and his hands dangling between his legs—was the team leader. Male, mid-twenties, easy-going. The second-in-command (he assumed) was making notations on a map. A woman, perhaps younger than her leader but older than Sasuke, with mid-length red-brown hair and a rather serious demeanor. She was the group's intelligence. The third member was another woman, perky, with orange-blond hair chopped short and a slightly-different uniform. She was an Anbu, but perhaps the team medic? She greeted his stare with a wave and a smile. Sasuke moved closer to the table but kept his distance from the group and stood waiting with his hands in his pockets.

"Hi there," the perky one grinned. "My name's Kaeri Naori, medical ninja in residence, and sitting next to me is Jun Chikai, our team tactician." The dark-haired woman looked up at her name.

"Call me Jun," she said, and turned back to her papers.

"She thinks Chikai is too girly," Naori rolled her eyes. "And this man over here is Kigeki Haiyu, our team leader."

Haiyu extended his hand, "Welcome to Team Seven of the Anbu."

Sasuke blinked in slight surprise and took the offered hand. They shook. "Uchiha Sasuke," he introduced himself. Naori's smile faltered the tiniest bit and Jun looked up from her papers again, this time her eyes locking on his face. Haiyu chuckled, quick to break the sudden tension.

"Looks like we're getting all sorts of wild cards today," he grinned.

Sasuke frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we just received our mission statement yesterday and we head out tomorrow," he began to tick off on his fingers, "which is practically unheard of, so we're rushing preparations. We were also told that someone from our group may have to go in solo, which is not recommended and not a smart thing to do. And, we have a test-taker, which makes things more difficult," he smiled disarmingly at the other man. "But I wasn't told that our fourth member would be of the prestigious Uchiha clan. You know, surprises all around."

Sasuke didn't care enough to be insulted so he just sat down in the empty armchair available, between Naori and Haiyu and across from Jun. She was still staring at him, her brow creased in thought. "What is the mission?" he asked, ignoring her.

"We've got to go to the Country of Lightning," Naori spoke up, "and dismantle an anti-relations group."

"Anti-relations?" Sasuke repeated.

"Recently, the Kazekage from the Sand Country went to visit the Raikage of the Cloud Country," Jun spoke, her voice soft and slow, her eyes still pinned to Sasuke's face. "They met together in the Country of Wave where the Mitsukage mediated. The Kazekage is trying to build relations between Sand and Cloud, and there have been factions—from both countries—that have formed in opposition to the relationship."

Naori said, "Sand and Cloud had a feud many years ago. Our country sided with Sand and Rock with Cloud, and that was the beginning of the Great War, where Sand and Fire finally came out the winners. Cloud's been bitter ever since, and pulled out all their relations with every country except for that of Wave."

"The Hidden Village of the Mist is actually a mixture of Water and Cloud shinobi," Haiyu added.

"So, our mission," Jun finally looked back down at her map, where she had been working out a route, "is to go to the border of the Cloud Nation, which is Lightning Country, and stop an anti-relation resistance before they can strengthen in number and intent."

"The possible solo mission is the assassination of the resistance leader," Haiyu explained. "Normally, we don't ever go in alone, except in very delicate or extreme circumstances."

"This just one faction we're going after though," Sasuke pointed out. "You said there were more. How is stopping one going to help?"

"We're hoping that cutting off the head of the resistance will leave the body aimless and they'll eventually dissolve."

"But that's a big risk. What if they get riled up by the assassination and take extreme measures?"

"Do you swat all the flies in the room?"

"What?" he was surprised by the question. "No…"

"Of course not," Haiyu leaned back against the couch, "you leave them alone because they don't warrant your attention. Until they bite." He raised an eyebrow. "They're about to bite us."

* * *

Sasuke threw in one last sweater for good luck, rolled up his sleeping bag tight, tucked it under his pack flap and snapped the whole thing closed, lifting and swinging it onto is back. He swept his eyes once more around the room, searching for anything he might need. _You've got a weapon, right? _Short katana, check. _Clothes? You're heading north in the winter—it's going to be cold. _Five sweaters, three turtlenecks, two cloaks, one scarf and one pair of gloves. Check. _Anything in case of extreme emergencies? It's your first _REAL _mission. One that will finally challenge you. _First aid kit? He didn't have one, but he knew someone who did.

* * *

He knocked again, his urgency sounding in the sharp raps his knuckles made on the wooden door.

"Coming!" he heard from the hall and shoved his extended hand back into his pocket, shielding it from the growing cold. He briefly thought of how brutal the upcoming winter would be before the door was pulled open and Sakura emerged, looking half-ready for work. "Sasuke!" she yelped, running a hand back through her disheveled hair. "I thought you were Lee! Come in!"

"I can't," he shook his head, a slight pang aching within his chest at her saddened look. "I've got to get going, but I was wondering if I could borrow a med kit?"

"A new mission?" she asked, already turning back into the house. "What do you think you'll need? Come in while I get it, it's freezing."

"I can wait," he called after her and then she turned the corner and was gone. His eyes roved around the gentle-colored foyer of her house, picking out the framed photos of her and her family at different phases of their lives. Idly, he thought: _I wonder when I can hang pictures like that in my own house._

Distantly, her voice came back to him. From upstairs, maybe? "Long-term or short-term mission?"

"Not sure," he called back, uncomfortable with communicating this way. What if it was bothering her family? "Long, I guess."

A few more minutes and she was back downstairs, handing him a neatly-wrapped kit. "My parent's are at my aunt's house right now," she noted his unease with an assuring smile. "Lee was heading over to walk me to work, but he hasn't shown up yet. Is the mission dangerous?" He could see in her eyes, although she smiled cheerfully, she was worried for him. His heart thumped painfully in his chest again, reminding him of all he had unnecessarily put her through not even a year ago. She was a good, reliable friend. And maybe someday soon, a good wife. But not for him. He'd established long ago that his feelings for her were nothing of the same caliber as hers for him, although she seemed to finally be getting over him.

"Not sure," he answered truthfully. "All I know is that this is the final part of the exam, and we'll know soon enough whether or not I'm Anbu material."

"And whether or not your husband material too?" she added with a forced little grin. "You'll do fine," she waved it off an instant later. "I mean, you're an outstanding shinobi. There's really nothing you can't do, Sasuke."

_That's untrue,_ the sudden thought surprised him, but he let it pass unspoken. "Thanks for the kit, Sakura. I'll make sure to return it when I get back."

"Don't worry about it," she waved him off again, this time, her smile a little more truthful. "If you see Lee on your way out, let him know I'm waiting for him, okay?"

"I will," he nodded and turned to go.

"Good luck, Sasuke!" she called from behind him, and he felt her concerned gaze on his back until he rounded the corner and headed for the main gates. Coming toward him, he saw two figures hunched against the cold of the early afternoon, one wearing a combination of black and orange, the other strictly in green. _Speak of the devil._ Both of them looked up at the approaching footsteps, the green one waved and the black-and-orange looked away. He debated quickly whether or not he should stop and say anything to either of them, but then they pulled even and he nodded to them and Rock Lee flashed him a grin and Uzumaki Naruto never turned his head once and then they went their separate ways once more. Uchiha Sasuke felt something faint and confusing tugging at his heart, but he ignored it—pushed it deep inside—and went to go meet Anbu Team Seven at the city gates.

* * *

Even though they had welcomed him pretty much with open arms, Uchiha Sasuke still felt like an outsider. During the day, as they walked, Team Seven talked about their own lives, just like it was any other day: Naori had a fiancée that worked as a jounin teacher at the academy, Jun was earning money as an Anbu to pay for her sick brother's medical bills, and Haiyu was supporting his mother after his parents divorced and his father left them. He learned all this from listening silently to their conversations as they asked after one another's families and laughed and joked about the changes around them since they had been kids. Apparently, they had even been on the same genin team together. Together for that long… Sasuke found himself thinking about his friends Sakura and Naruto. They were almost the same—loud and brash Naruto versus Haiyu; kind and dependable Sakura and Naori; quiet and troubled Jun opposed to himself. Seeing them together this way made him think about his old teammates a little bit differently: _Maybe bonds aren't as useless as I first thought they were._


	33. Winter, 3

_He encountered demons, ogres, evil spirits, and every other manner of feared creatures—but each time he was faced with danger the man just laughed and defeated them effortlessly._

_**3**_

That night they camped for the last time in the country of the Leaf. Haiyu was telling an extremely rude joke to Naori, who came across as both appalled and amused as she laughed and scolded him at the same time. Jun was sitting a little apart from them, not distant but not exactly in the conversation. She was marking something on a book in front of her, her hair pushed back from her eyes by a bandana tied up around her head. Sasuke glanced over her shoulder from his standing position behind her and was rather surprised to see she was drawing the scene before her: Haiyu grinning and ducking as Naori tried to punch him and stop laughing all at once, the fire between them like a glowing heart.

"It's very nice," he said to her softly beneath his breath. He knew she would hear and she did; she stopped drawing and turned her face up to him, her dark eyes steady and focused on his.

"It's something to do," she said.

He sat down beside her. "That doesn't change the fact that you have talent."

"You sound like those two," she tilted her chin at her teammates, who were throwing playful banter back and forth across the fire circle. "But it's just a distraction, nothing to take seriously."

"What do you mean?" he asked her. She was silent for a moment before she began to explain.

"An Anbu—a shinobi—faces a harsh and demanding world. We do everything, from spying to assassinations," Jun shrugged almost helplessly, the small gesture knocking years off her appearance. "It's a lot to ask for a single human being. So, I draw to take the strain off my shoulders—to keep from snapping, as it were."

"How long have you been using your…escape?" he couldn't think of anything better to call it.

She smiled a bit at his word choice. "Since I met them," she answered. "I haven't had a lack of inspiration since we became a genin team. They just seem to…fill me up with it."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her words. He didn't think Jun was the sentimental type. "Are they that important to you?" he asked her. "You can honestly say they make you that happy?"

"Happiness is fleeting," she shook her head, "just like sadness and anger and even love. But," her eyes fell on her teammates and Sasuke saw something there, reflected in the firelight, burning strong, "I can honestly say that if it weren't for those two, I wouldn't be living right now." He let the statement sink in as Jun watched her teammates continue to taunt each other, a smile almost coming to her face. "Things were…difficult," she continued slowly, as if in a half-daze. "When my brother was admitted into the hospital and with both our parents dead, it all fell on me, and it was hard." Her mouth pulled into a frown for a fraction of a second, then the slight smile returned. "But Kaeri and Kigeki were there for me, and they're more stable than any emotion I could possibly feel. I trust them."

"Is that what's most important?" he asked, still surprised at her feelings. _Are teammates really that important? Are bonds really so strong? That they overcome emotions? _He thought of Sakura begging to understand, even agreeing to fall to his level of despair, just to be with him; he thought of Naruto chasing after him against fierce opposition, wanting to bring him home; he thought of them both risking their reputations and their lives to chase him down the suicidal path he had chosen to rescue him from the darkness that threatened to swallow the very essence of himself. _Wanting to be with someone can overcome anything? Fear, anger, hatred, suffering?_

"I don't know about it being important," Jun shrugged, closing her sketchbook and rising, stretching her arms to the sky. Her teammates looked up at her instantly.

"Tired, Jun?" Haiyu grinned up at her, red-cheeked and slightly rumpled from Naori's assault.

"Going to bed? We should too, you know," the other woman nodded her head. "Going to sleep later than your body is accustomed to cuts down your stamina and your ability to react at your normal efficiency."

"I'm just stretching…" Jun rolled her eyes to Sasuke, that tiny smile gracing one corner of her mouth. "Don't worry, I'll go to bed soon. I just have to go over the retreat plan once more."

"But if you're really tired, please go to bed early," Naori's brow creased in a frown. "I can't heal fatigue."

"Escape plan," Jun emphasized, going over to her pack near the corner of the camp. "You can't heal dead either."

Haiyu laughed at that. "She got you there, Naori." Naori pouted. Haiyu's smile didn't change, but his demeanor did—he was giving an order, not making a request. "Seriously, Jun. You just seem a little tired. Go to bed as soon as you're done, alright? We still have a few days to perfect the strategy."

"No problem," Jun nodded and went to the other side of the campsite to go over her plans in silence. Sasuke kept his eyes on her until she sat down and pulled out her maps, then turned to the others, who had begun talking.

"You worry too much, Naori," Haiyu chided playfully.

"I told you, I don't think she's gotten a wink of sleep lately!" the medical ninja hissed defensively. "I don't know why, but I can hear her tossing and turning! She's been that way since the other day."

And Sasuke suddenly knew why. Jun felt as if she were walking them headlong to their deaths, the people she cared for the most. Sasuke could only imagine her distress. But he had a feeling that the other two knew, or at least understood somewhat, and on top of it all, it wasn't his place. But… _Was this how it was when I was gone? Did they worry this way? Did I keep them up at night, laying awake, thinking of the thousands of ways they could fail to reach me? _He had a strong feeling that the answer to all three of these questions was a resounding 'yes'.

* * *

He stirred. There was a noise that was out of place in the fields of his home country. There was no electric hum of night creatures in the fading grasses, there was no low, mournful whistle of cold wind through the balding trees. It was abnormally quiet. All of his senses revved up to full alert but he kept his body still, not breaking the natural rise and fall of his sides as he breathed in and out deeply, as if still in sleep. He listened, he stretched his awareness and tried to sense for hostile chakra, he tried to locate the others in the moonless dark. Did they know? Did they feel it? Were they awake too? Calling out would just blow their cover and then nothing would have been accomplished. He just had to trust that they had been awakened as well, and were waiting for a confirming presence or intent.

They didn't have to wait long. Silent daggers pierced through the still air above them—_from the trees?_—and he whipped himself out of his sleeping bag with a speed he particularly prided himself in, pulling out his own kunai and deflecting the black weapon aimed straight at his head. With a blink of his eyes, the pupils dilated and his vision temporarily split into three ways before shifting into his Sharingan bloodline limit. The remnants of Orochimaru's curse seal jolted him just the tiniest bit, like a pinprick in the neckline, and then he could see.

Haiyu and Naori were huddled over Jun. The attackers—there were three of them—were rushing in, weapons held out for a first strike. Sasuke knew that they couldn't see like he did. He pulled his short katana blade free and ran to intercept them, passing the team and momentarily thinking: _why aren't they attacking?_ His sword met the resistance of another weapon and he let it block for him, his momentum knocking the attacker backwards. At the same time, his hand had clenched around another kunai and snapped out like the head of a snake, striking the next-closest one in the tender meat of the inner-right shoulder. The person howled and stumbled aside, leaving Sasuke free to duck beneath the next attack and turn around so that he had two of their backs to him. He had the next move planned out in his head and went to execute it, but two hasty blurs shot past his peripherals—only with the activated Sharingan did he realize they were Haiyu and Jun—silver swords flashed in the darkness and death screams rung in the air. Two bodies fell to the soft earth with morbidly-gentle thumps. The third one (the one with the kunai in his shoulder) held his wound and looked back and forth between the three people surrounding him, their weapons at his throat.

"Who sent you?" Haiyu spoke, and Sasuke was nearly surprised out of his cool. _This_ was the team leader when he was serious. The soft-spoken words could not hide the hostility they were seeped in. But instead of cowering in fear, the wounded man grinned humorlessly and Sasuke's trained ears heard the faintest of clicking noises, like chewing on—

His hand flew out to stop the jaw from working but he was a second too late. As soon as he reached out, the man fell over and began to spasm. Rushing footsteps behind him told him Naori was coming to join them. When the death twitches stopped, Haiyu sighed and lowered himself to the dirt beside the body, running a hand through his thick hair. "Go figure," he muttered, then looked up at Sasuke to smile bemusedly. "Welcome to the Country of Lightning."

"Haiyu, let me see it," Naori knelt beside him and he tried to wave her off.

"I'm alright; it's just a scratch."

"What happened?" Sasuke asked.

"When we were first attacked, he protected Jun from the kunai," Naori told him.

"It's my fault," Jun said rather sharply, not turning around. Her sword was still out and still dripping with blood. He could see her hand clenched down on it, white-knuckled and shaking.

"It's nothing," Haiyu made a face. "I've had tons worse. Remember when we went on that four week mission in the Rock Country? That guy kicked my ass. This is a scratch, so just slap a band-aid on it or something and let's go back to sleep."

"It's my fault," Jun repeated, but Sasuke was pretty sure he was the only one who heard.

Surprisingly, Naori shook her head. "No one blames you, Jun. Things like this happen, you know that. Let's just be thankful it was his back and not your head. I can't heal dead, after all." Jun turned around and for one intense second, Sasuke thought she was going to become angry.

Instead, she shook her head and gave a light chuckle, taking a cloth from her weapon pouch. "You're a miracle-worker, Kaeri," she cleaned the blood from her reversed blade, "but if you could heal dead, I'd be renting you out by the hour." Haiyu proceeded to laugh himself to tears and Naori rolled her eyes and smiled back at her friend.

"Now, can I please heal you, or would you prefer bleeding to death on the frontier?" she asked Haiyu. This, for some reason, made him laugh harder, and Naori and Jun exchanged a glance over his head that Sasuke couldn't miss. It plainly stated that they thought their team leader had gone temporarily over the edge. _They're laughing_, he thought. _They've just been through an assassination attempt, one of them is injured, and they have no information because the one hostage killed himself. And they're _laughing.

_Naruto could always make you laugh._ The seemingly random thought startled and confused him. But it was true regardless. Naruto really _could_ make him laugh whenever he tried. But for now, there was something awkward between them. Not bad and not hostile, just…awkward. That not-so-random touch before he had left… Naruto's haggard appearance each time he brought up the subject of marriage… Something was happening between them, and he was more confused than he let on.

But being with Haiyu, Naori, and Jun were slowly clearing things up for him.


	34. Winter, 4

_During his travels, the man received a letter from his hometown: "Please, come back quickly. Your friend is severely ill, and is calling for you."_

_**4**_

Sasuke had volunteered to go. Haiyu had shook his head and said: "With those nifty eyes of yours, you can cover my girls while they cover me. Got it?" So he ended up being a lookout on the mission, but he was faintly relieved. He was cloaked up in a high tree, the branches bare and brittle, so the smallest shift of weight would alert everyone to his presence, but, it was the best vantage point he had over Jun and Naori, who were monitoring Haiyu's progress on a small monitor the three of them were connected to by wireless radio collars each of them wore. It was standard issue for each Anbu team, he was told, and it monitored breathing rate, pulse, and slight outside influences. It also gave them a general area of each of their locations, and Jun could narrate which way for Haiyu to take each time he paused according to her rough map of collected information on the resistance's hideout.

"You should be in the rafters now," she whispered so slightly that even he had trouble picking it up from this distance. "A long beam should run all the way across; it's thick enough to hide you until you want to make your move." Haiyu didn't respond, of course. He wouldn't unless he was caught or in an emergency situation where he needed Naori to analyze the enemy's battle pattern. While Jun was their intelligence, Naori apparently was a deep resource well of battle knowledge, thanks to her fiancée. Sasuke tried to picture Haiyu's position in his head—perched silently and precariously over the length of the room, straining to breathe as little as possible, wary of every figure passing through the main conference room, where Jun had informed him the leader always was during the evening hours. He honestly didn't envy the other man right now.

He suddenly sensed something coming toward them from the south, not slow, but not rocketing either. He decided to keep tabs on it, but until it got closer he wouldn't sound the alert, to avoid worrying Jun and Naori more than they already were. He thought it was funny (strange funny, not ha-ha funny) that even though they were a fully trained Anbu team, they still worried over each other like this. He remembered that with his own team, he got kind of exasperated when Naruto and Sakura worried over him needlessly. He remembered thinking that they shouldn't think so lowly of his abilities. But, watching the girls watch the monitor, every so often checking Haiyu's status and whispering words of encouragement to him, he came to the conclusion that his friends hadn't been underestimating him, but simply worried. Still, he wasn't going to let anything happen to him, so they were just worrying needlessly…

Were these the emotional-overcoming bonds Jun had told him about? So strong, they not only blocked out emotions, but rationality as well? No, he didn't think so. They had just been worried, that was all. Everyone got worried, this he knew. He did too. He was plenty worried about his vow to get married on his return to Konoha. Also, he was worried about Naruto, who had been acting so strangely as of late. That fast-moving presence was definitely coming toward them. He hoped it was back-up, but he severely doubted it. Still, not the time to raise the alarm; Haiyu had just gotten in contact with them.

"Target is alone," the faintest of whispers came from Jun and Naori's collars. "Confirm?"

Jun was already flipping through a soft-leather covered book with her notes for this mission scribbled inside in her tiny and precise writing. "Confirming," Naori said back to Haiyu, letting him know they were looking into it. She left the safety of the nearby trench and Sasuke now had to split his attention. He let the fast-moving presence go for now and kept an eye on Jun's position and Naori's movement. She was circling around the guard towers to avoid detection and to scope out the inner base's activity. "It looks as if they're all heading toward one building. A mess hall, maybe?"

"Mess hall," Jun spoke quickly. "Six thirty p.m. to seven thirty p.m., mandatory dining hour. Everyone should be there, except for the leader, and he has his dinner brought to him. Suggested to wait fifteen to twenty minutes."

"Roger," he spoke once and was gone again. Naori circled back to their hiding place and Sasuke glanced to the guards to check and see if they had been noticed. No, they were waiting restlessly, anxious for the shift change, which would happen—according to Jun—at seven o'clock. They had used the noon shift change and the lunch hour to have Haiyu sneak into the well-constructed base, and were going to use this next one to get him out unnoticed. It was a long wait, but necessary to avoid detection. They waited exactly ten minutes before Haiyu addressed them once more: "Second presence confirmed. He has brought a tray of food for the target. Standby." On the monitor, as Jun and Naori leaned forward in anticipation, Haiyu's heart rate began to rise. Sasuke was slightly surprised. "Alone again. Confirm?"

Naori came out again and rounded toward the front, watching a solitary figure come out of one building and enter the mess hall. "Confirmed," she whispered as she came back, "the target is alone."

"You have an eighteen minute window before the shift change," Jun warned.

There was a heavy pause, pregnant with anticipation. Over the radio transmission there was a sharp click—the crossbow—and then nothing. Naori was chewing on her bottom lip. Jun was frowning at the monitor, watching Haiyu's heart rate jump up, then recede gradually. "Mission accomplished," he breathed.

"Good, now get back here, please," Naori sighed.

"Shift change in thirteen minutes," Jun reported.

And at the edge of his consciousness, Sasuke became alerted once more of that not-fast-but-not-slow presence coming toward them.

* * *

The team had unanimously decided to flee from the rebel's base at top speed to avoid identification and to get a head-start from their trackers. They finally stopped running at dawn, when they reached the outskirts of the Lightning Country. Another day of rest and running would get them back to the country's outskirts, and after that, a five day hike toward home. While Jun redistributed their equipment to make the journey easier, Naori set up the camp and Haiyu and Sasuke placed warding tags all around the site which made them temporarily invisible to the naked eye. Only something similar to Sasuke's Sharingan or the Hyuuga's Byakugan could sense them now; this made it easier for them to rest for the next run. Sasuke noticed that Haiyu was having a difficult time finishing the strokes on the wards.

"Do you want me to do it?" he offered.

"Huh?" Haiyu blinked and then grinned restlessly. "Nah, I've got it. My hand's just shaking, that's all."

"Have Kaeri take a look at it."

"It's not that simple," the other man shook his head, frowning a bit as he completed the last stroke on the warding tag and slapped it onto the tree beside him. A faint shimmer distorted the air around the campsite, signifying that the barrier was in place. They could relax for exactly eight hours.

"You're still upset over the assassination," Sasuke stated more than asked.

Haiyu chuckled, but didn't look amused. "It's not easy to hide things from you, huh?" Sasuke waited, silent. Haiyu sighed in resignation: "Yeah, it's about the assassination. The superior says we should be used to it by now, but…"

"You're not, then?"

"Who could ever be used to killing people?" he made a face. "Personally, if I could say no, I would."

"Then why didn't you?"

"…" Haiyu stuck his hands in his pockets, looking uncomfortable. He glanced away from the dark-haired man, his gaze flickering from Naori building the fire circle to Jun, neatly repacking their supplies. "If I don't do it, they will." He didn't get it; Sasuke lifted an eyebrow. The other man shook his head. "If I don't do the killing, the girls will have to do it. They'll have to suffer the nightmares and the guilt, and I don't want to put them through that if I can help it." He turned back to Sasuke, his usually-twinkling eyes heavy and dark with emotion. "I don't want them to suffer, if I can somehow help it."

"Sasuke-san!" Naori called from their left. "Can you please light this with your katon jitsu? The wood's all wet from last night's rain…"

"Sure," he started toward her, casting one last look in Haiyu's direction. His eyes had returned to normal and he grinned and jogged past Sasuke, to where Naori and Jun were.

"How come you've gotta ask the rookie?" he wrinkled his nose. "I can use katon too, you know!"

"Because I asked Sasuke-san first," Naori stated primly, sticking her nose up at him. "Besides, he can do it better than you can."

"Naori-chaaaaaaan…" Haiyu pouted, deflating.

_To protect those that are precious to me, I shall become even stronger… I will keep all that will harm them away; I will take all of that evil inside of me—I will eat it all up—just to see them smile…

* * *

_

He awoke near dawn, the sound of something close clacking against the earth, a snap, a flicker. He opened his eyes. Naori was settling down across from him. "Sorry, did I wake you?" she whispered softly. He propped himself up and shook his head slightly to clear it.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" he asked, his voice thick with the remnants of his own sleep.

She shrugged. "I just felt like sitting up to watch, that's all."

"There is a barrier still in effect for…" he had to pause to count backward, "three hours. We don't need a lookout."

Naori shook her head and smiled at him. "I just felt like it," she repeated.

"You'll be tired tomorrow." It's not like he particularly worried or anything, but her lack of sleep could be hindering to them come tomorrow. She shook her head.

"I'll be okay," she smiled. "Thanks for worrying, Sasuke-san."

_I wasn't worried. _"You really should just sleep…"

"…it just eases my mind, keeping watch like this," her eyes became slightly unfocused. "After what happened the other night, I felt I should."

"It wasn't your fault or anything."

"I know. I just worry too much," she laughed lightly. "Chi-chan and Ha-chan always say that." She flushed and looked at him from across the steadily-burning flames. "Don't tell them I call them by those names still. Chi-chan—Jun, I mean—made me swear never to call her that after the first time, and Ha-chan just sort of grew out of his." She shook her head, smiling. "Still do it, though."

"It's a nickname," he frowned. "Why should it matter?"

"It matters to me," she laid her hands across her joined knees and leaned her chin against them. She stared at the fire with something akin to contemplation. "They matter to me, you know?" She gazed at him across the campfire, her eyes glimmering in its light. "I became a medical nin just so I could support them better. So I wasn't as useless…" she turned her head away. "I really used to suck as a ninja. Our team failed the chuunin exams once because of me. I was…weak." She drew in a deep breath and sighed. "I swore that I wouldn't hold them back anymore. I would do my best for them, because I care about them. I worry that they're not eating well enough or getting enough sleep or are trying to hide their sickness and fatigue because they know that I worry." She glanced back at him. "I suppose that's why I'm awake, Sasuke-san, because I'm worried."

"…I can take over for you," he offered, startling himself. "Get some sleep. If you're tired, you won't be able to take care of them to the best of your ability."

Naori blinked, then nodded and chuckled to herself. "Okay," she agreed. "Thank you, Sasuke-san."

_I want to become strong for you, so that you don't have to worry anymore; so I will no longer hold you back from what you want to do. I will take care of you, because I don't want to be a burden to you.

* * *

_

He leaned against the tree's trunk with his arms crossed and his eyes blankly focused on the horizon. He was thinking. He was doing a lot of thinking lately. The Anbu Team Seven was stirring up feelings from his locked up room at the back of his mind. They were slowly drawing out memories and feelings he had once experienced with his own Team Seven, and it made his chest ache and his head throb. _Sakura… Naruto…_ With an hour before the barrier would go down, there were no enemies detected within the range of his Sharingan, but that weird presence from the day before—the not-too-fast-not-too-slow one—was circling them now, as if searching. For them? Maybe it really was from Konoha. But why? They hadn't requested back up. Maybe it was from the resistance? They couldn't possibly track them with the barrier up. So what could it be?

Whatever it was, it was slowly nagging at him, driving him nuts. With forty minutes to go before the tags expired, he decided to go out and check on it. Before he left the circle of protection, he cast one glance back at the three team members. They all slept peacefully. He felt the start of a smile creeping upon his face as he muttered the counter jitsu and strode quickly through the barrier so as not to get stuck or accidently shatter it. The air around him rippled like the disturbed surface of a lake and he was outside. Instantly, the circling thing bombarded him.

He whipped out a shurinkan and covered his eyes with one arm, shielding them from possible attack. A weight settled on his forearm and he lowered it, looking down at it in confusion. The large blue-gray striped falcon ruffled its feathers and beat its wings, its talons working along his arm to regain its balance from his unexpected shift. There was a leather cartridge attached to its back with a leather strap harness. It was a container for message scrolls. He unlatched the cartridge, slid the message out, and tossed the shurinkan back over his shoulder where it hit the tree behind him with a slight _thunk_ sound. Frowning, he unrolled the scroll to see the encrypted message:

"_To the moon far away in the deep sky._ _This star is longing for your light. The sun can no longer shine and the orbit is out of perfection, as is the rest of the cosmos. The moon is the only thing that can restore the sun, so please return the moonlight to the sky._"

_What?_ It took him a minute or two to actually make sense of what he was reading. Then, as if a lightning bolt had come from the sky to strike sense into him, he remembered. This was the type of code Sakura would use on their missions: Moon for Sasuke, Sun for Naruto, Star for herself, and Orbit for Kakashi; metaphors of the sky to describe the situation. Okay, so then, the message roughly became:

"_Sasuke, I know you're away on a mission. But I need you here. Something's wrong with Naruto and Kakashi doesn't know what to do, and neither does anyone else. You're the only one that can help him, Sasuke, so please come home."_

He reread the message three times, each time, something dark and fearful swelling in the pit of his stomach. _'Something's wrong with Naruto…'_ He had to get home.


	35. Winter, 5

_The man rushed back home as fast as he could, a deep and painful feeling driving him onward no matter how tired or hungry he became, and it gnawed at his heart with each passing second._

_**5**_

He stopped, his weight shaking the first light snow clumps from the spider-webbed branches of the bare tree limb. His eyes tried to take in the horizon, scanning for renegade Lightning nins, but his thoughts came rushing forward in a jumble and obscured his vision. He briefly worried about the team he had left behind, but when he tried to turn back and shake off his initial reaction to the note as foolishness, an ache so deep within him nearly brought him to his knees each time. Sasuke took a deep breath to calm his nerves and opened his eyes to scan the layout of the snow-sprinkled land. The cold air spiked into his lungs, almost painfully, and out of the corner of his peripheral vision he saw that his hands were shaking. _Big deal.__ It's cold. _But Sasuke knew it was more than that. The note Sakura had written was both abrupt and unsettling, and it sat heavy in the back of his mind: _come home…come home…come home…_

"Naruto…" he mumbled, his warm breath spilling thick across his lower lip.

_POW!_

He fell out of the tree.

"Oh, god!" a female voice wailed. "Haiyu! You killed him!"

"No I did _not_!" a second, male voice countered, sounding put-out. "He's an Uchiha—I'm sure it takes more than a snowball to kill him."

He had flipped in mid-air, recovering and landing crouched in the patch of cold dead earth beneath the canopy of dead branches. It had yet to be covered by snow, but now a sludge of white slipped from the side of his face, neck, and hair and pattered down onto the brown earth. Someone helped him to his feet.

"You okay?" Jun patted him off. He looked from one reddened face to the next, starting at Haiyu and working around, coming back to the older man.

"What are you doing?" he asked them.

"Going back home," Haiyu answered quickly, a grin playing on the side of his mouth.

"We're all headed in the same direction, Sasuke-san," Naori followed. "Why didn't you just wait for us to all leave together?"

"We saw the messenger falcon near the campsite and we assumed you had gotten something urgent from Konoha," Jun explained.

"Besides," Haiyu spoke again, "you're still on a mission. It would look bad on you if we showed up at different times." His eyebrows creased in a rare frown. "Don't you want to become an Anbu?"

_Do I?_ He thought abruptly. Aloud, he said: "It's personal."

"It's dangerous to travel alone on the border—you know that," Naori protested.

"I don't care," he said. "I have to get home. You'll just slow me down." Sasuke paused. How many times had he said that to Naruto? How many times did he think that on missions when Sakura grew tired and called for a rest, or Naruto did something stupid and set them back instead of helping them forward? _"You'll just slow me down."_ How often did he actually think that of his teammates? …his friends?

"Tell you what, Uchiha," Haiyu spoke up, breaking into his thought-stupor. "I bet you this entire mission's paycheck that Naori will make it to the village faster than you."

"What?" Naori, Jun, and Sasuke all blinked at him.

"How about it?" he grinned from ear to ear.

"Haiyu…!" Naori wailed.

"She's pretty fast when she's motivated," he continued, more to Sasuke than the others. "No paycheck means no rent for me or medical expenses for Jun." Naori turned pale, while Jun fixated a glare on him. "Well, what do you say?"

"This isn't a game," Sasuke growled at him.

"No, I guess not," Haiyu shrugged. "But it's a hell of a motivator, isn't it?" There was a pause between the four as they each thought their own thoughts: Sasuke, bewilderment; Jun, apprehension; Naori, a mix of worry and determination; Haiyu merely grinned his joker grin and waited. Naori was the first to break their collective silence.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-san," she bowed to him from the waist, her orange hair spilling over her eyes and then took off like a rocket, gone before anyone knew where to look for her. Sasuke blinked, stunned.

"What's the matter, Sasuke?" Haiyu laughed. "You'd better hurry, or she'll get there first!" Sasuke glared at the other man for a second, then crouched with a dismissive grunt and disappeared as he launched himself toward Konoha. The last two Anbu were left behind, one glaring at the other.

"How could you do that to Naori?" Jun frowned at him. "You know how she gets when things depend on her!"

"She carries out her task until she nearly dies from exhaustion," Haiyu answered, his smile gone, his eyes looking in the direction the other two had run off in.

"How could you put her in that position?" his teammate stamped her foot.

He was silent for a minute. "…how long would it take us to get back to Konoha from here with regular stops?"

"Three days, but what has that got to do with—?"

"And if we return without Sasuke, what happens to him?"

"He fails the Anbu exam. Haiyu, what are you—?"

"How long will it take to get back to Konoha, running full speed and non-stop?"

Jun quieted. Finally she answered, "One day and a fourth." She started at Haiyu in something akin to wonder. "Naori's not the fastest, you are."

"But with that kind of motivation, will she fall behind?" he finally broke into a smile.

"Haiyu…"

"We'd better start running, or we'll _really_ get left in the dust." He stretched a few times, then gestured to her. "Come on, Jun."

* * *

It was afternoon in Konoha when Anbu Team Seven arrived at the gates. Uchiha Sasuke paused to catch his breath, gulping sweet cold air into his burning lungs. His legs felt like rubber and he was lightheaded from dehydration, but all that could wait. _Naruto_. He started into the city, intent on the mid-class residential district—to Sakura's house.

Haiyu panted, a huge, sweaty grin on his face. "We're back!" he called, looking at his two teammates. Jun didn't speak, but leaned over with her hands on her knees and heaved her breath in and out, forcing herself not to hyperventilate. Naori stopped, looked up at the city gate, and sighed.

"I lost…" she whimpered, and fainted. Haiyu's smile twitched downward for a moment, and he walked over to her, leaning down to scoop her up. Jun watched him from the corner of her eye. He eased Naori over his left shoulder, bracing her with his left arm and hand. He extended his right to Jun.

"Can you walk?" he asked.

"Of course I can walk," she snapped at him but refused to move. In truth, her leg muscles were locked up and in a moment they would become like liquid and she would fall to the floor and be helpless and she wished Haiyu would leave with Naori so that he wouldn't see it. But he didn't leave. He grabbed her about the waist just as she began to fall and held her tight against his right side. She tried to fight him off, even if it meant spilling to the ground. "Don't touch me!"

He reaffirmed his grip and squeezed, knocking the little breath she had out from her. "Don't be dumb," he murmured into her ear and began hoisting the two girls into the city. She fought for another minute, then relaxed and helped him limp her toward the mission center, her cheeks burning.

* * *

Sasuke's vision doubled. He stumbled along the path, getting odd looks from some people passing him by. He didn't care—he was used to odd looks. He counted the numbers climbing on the doorframes and the mailboxes and continued onward, searching for number three-twenty-three. He was somewhere in the late two-hundreds, if his fuzzy brain was reading the numbers correctly. Images flashed behind his eyes: _Naori__Haiyu__, Sakura, __Tsunande__Naruto__, the Fourth __Hokage__, Jun, __Naruto__Itachi__Naruto__Sakura__Naruto__…_ He didn't' know he had hit the ground and didn't realize that unconsciousness came quickly to claim him. He did see a pair of blue eyes blazing at him, and heard someone shriek his name—a girl, perhaps. He was used to that too. Footsteps came and then there was silence. 


	36. Winter, 6

_Arriving home, he found his friend in bed unmoving, and knelt upon the floor and cried, "Why did this happen? How am I supposed to live without you?"

* * *

_

6

Voices echoed in the black.

"How did…?"

"Why was he…?"

"…Sasuke!"

"…running for a full…"

"I can't believe it."

"Sasuke?" The last voice pierced the haze of his mind. He slowly forced his eyes open but he could only see hazy colored shapes; something soft and pink and white and another something hard and black and orange. A hand slid behind his head, small, soft, gentle. "Drink," said the voice, "please?" Something cold touched his lips. He commanded his mouth to open to it but it didn't respond and something liquid and cold slid along his cheeks and chin and jaw. "Oh, Sasuke…" the voice whimpered. The hand moved away. His head thudded back. A groan rose in his throat but stayed locked behind his sealed lips. He fell back toward the darkness.

"Idiot!" something—someone—else grabbed his head and forced it up, making it roar in pain. He tried to match that roar but couldn't summon the strength and gave up, trying to turn away. A bright yellow flooded his vision, astoundingly clear in the fuzzy blackness. It overwhelmed him. Something warm and wet lapped against his frozen lips and then fought with them, trying to force them apart. His bottom lip cracked and split and he felt his eyebrows tug together in a frown of pain. He inhaled sharply through his nose. The wet thing wiggled its way into his mouth, breaking the crust saliva cementing his lips together, blood, spit, and some liquid blessedly cool flooded into him, sliding thickly down his throat. He gagged and sucked on this wetness at the same time. It retreated from him, leaving his mouth open to fully gulp in air. He heard himself make a pitiful mewling sound at the absence of that warm, wet thing and hated himself for it but he wanted it back and he wasn't sure he remembered how to talk yet to ask for it so he nudged his head upward and whimpered again. "Idiot…" the same voice spoke the same word but softer, and the warmth returned, slipping into his mouth gently this time, bringing the cold liquid with it again. It ran down his parched throat. The warm object caressed him inside, ran along his dry tongue, feeding it moisture, tickled the roof of his mouth just behind his front teeth and soothed away the ache in his cut lip. The second parting was slower, and something else went with it. Sasuke opened his eyes fully to gaze up at Uzumaki Naruto before he passed out once more.

* * *

The second time he fully awoke, Sakura was leaning over him, a glass of water held in her hand as she watched him with worried eyes. He sat up slowly.

"You shouldn't move too fast," she lay a hand on his chest and urged him to lie down once more. "You've been out for almost two days now."

He shook his head, both to clear it and to tell her that he _needed_ to sit up. He was feeling restless. His eyes looked around the room, taking in the cream-colored walls and off-white carpet floor of Sakura's bedroom. There were flowers in a vase on the windowsill. A bookcase to his right and a night table to his left, which had an alarm clock, a lamp, and a sealed scroll atop it.

"That came for you this morning," she saw him looking at it. "It's from the Hokage's office. Looks official."

_They probably failed me_, he thought bitterly to himself. He opened his mouth, winced, cleared his throat, and looked pointedly at the water glass. She handed it to him obligingly. Sasuke drank from it hungrily, finishing it off in three huge gulps. He held it out for a refill but Sakura shook her head.

"A little at a time," she admonished lightly. "You were severely dehydrated. If Naruto hadn't forced you to drink—"

"Naruto," he coughed, interrupting her. "Where is…Naruto?"

Her face became sad. "I don't know."

He looked at her, his eyebrows lifting to hide in his long bangs. "You don't…"

"I told you," she sighed, leaning her face in her hands and resting her elbows on her knees, "Naruto hasn't been acting himself lately. When he came in here yesterday looking for you, those questions he asked me were the first words I've heard him speak in almost a month." Sasuke's puzzled look changed to one of contemplation. Naruto was one who rarely shut up, and here he was, not talking at all. Of course Sakura had been worried, but was that really so important that she had to contact him on a mission? As if she had read his thoughts, she continued her explanation: "He left his apartment early one morning and hasn't been back there since. No one sees him eat at Ichiraku, no one knows if and when he returns home, he doesn't talk to or approach anyone." Sakura's worry took the form of tears welling up in her pretty teal eyes. "He's stopped taking missions and going to classes with both Tsunande-sama and Kakashi-sensei. Not even Iruka-sensei knows what's going on!" Hysterics that she had been keeping at bay threatened her slender frame and she wailed into her hands, covering her face as if to hide the tears she was now shedding freely.

Sasuke took it all in quietly, thinking to himself. Almost a month…around the time that strange touch incident had occurred when he had to leave for the Anbu Exam mission. Had he indirectly caused Naruto's strange behavior? But why? The blond had always been there, loud and bright, so why now did he choose to pull away? After summer, into the fall, when they had that argument over Sasuke's choice of marriage to revive his clan… Was that it? Was Naruto upset over the arranged marriage? He had said he wasn't in love with Hinata, so it couldn't be that; he couldn't lie, he was too honest. It was confusing (as the blond often liked to be, much to Sasuke's own distaste), and he couldn't sort this out without the source. He had to find Naruto and confront him.

Sakura watched him with red-rimmed eyes. He pulled the black tunic on over the deep blue turtleneck and tied the vivid purple sash around his waist—his spare clothing from his pack, which Sakura had in a corner of her room. She handed him his unopened scroll wordlessly. He took it and tucked it into the back of his black pants, disinterested.

"Sasuke…" she started to say something.

"I'm going," he nodded to her and left her room, heading for the stairs. He took them swiftly, ducking quietly into the foyer, avoiding the eyes of Sakura's parents, who were in the next room. He fitted his closed sandals over his feet and silently opened the door. Cold wind greeted him. Sakura joined him in the foyer.

"Sakura?" her mother called from the day room. "Are you going out to meet Lee-san?"

"No, Mother," Sakura blushed. Sasuke briefly gave her a flicker of a grin.

"I'll be back for my stuff," he said, and out the door he went. She watched him go. Her father called to her, something about the cold. She continued to watch him. Sasuke decided to start at Naruto's abandoned apartment, and he was off.

* * *

Sasuke scuffed at the empty styrofoam cup on the floor. It scudded away with a hollow noise. He looked up into the darkened apartment, messier and more unkempt than usual, and frowned. There wasn't anything to go on here. From the yellowish tinges of chakra that Sasuke could see (thanks to the sharingan) he could tell Naruto's absence had been long. Everything that had the other man's signature on it was faint and old, nearly weeks old. He didn't sleep here, he only came here to get what he needed—which meant the blond was staying somewhere else.

"Back to the drawing board," he whispered to no one and left the empty apartment.

* * *

"Naruto?" the old man repeated, scratching his chin. "Come to mention it, I haven't seen him around in some time. He usually comes in when he's back from a mission to grace me with his presence." The man's laughter rolled pleasantly onto the evening street. Some people glanced their way.

"When was the last time you _did_ see him, old man?" Sasuke prompted, forcing his impatience down. It was important to keep his cool. It was easier to get information from happy people rather than pissed off ones.

"I'd have to say…" his eyes rolled up, trying to recall and accurate date. Sasuke waited patiently. "About a month or so ago," he finished with a decisive nod. "He came in with that pink-haired friend of his—pretty one she is—and ordered a bowl for each of them. They were talking about someone getting married, actually, although I haven't heard anything like that lately."

Sasuke's heart thudded abruptly. "Thanks, gramps," he choked out past a lump in his throat and left Ichiraku, heavy-footed. He nearly bumped into someone in his distraction.

"Sasuke?" they asked. He looked up, his eyes focusing on tall, lanky Nara Shikamaru. Beside him was his polar opposite best friend, Akimichi Chouji. The shorter of the two smiled pleasantly at the Uchiha.

"Hey, Sasuke! What's up?"

"Have either of you seen Naruto lately?" he asked them both. Shikamaru and Chouji exchanged curious glances.

"Not lately, no," Chouji shook his head. "Naruto and I usually share a bowl of ramen every week or so, but he hasn't been to Ichiraku in weeks."

"I noticed that he stopped collecting his mission statements," Shikamaru added. "Is something the matter?"

"We don't know where he is," Sasuke admitted. _What do you mean 'we'?_ a voice inside of him quipped icily. _YOU didn't even notice something was wrong until Sakura had to tell you he disappeared!_

The two friends exchanged glances again. "No, I haven't seen him," Chouji shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I will keep an eye out for him, if that'll help."

"Thanks," he nodded.

"Where have you tried looking?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Here," Sasuke shrugged. "His apartment, the academy, the training facility, with Iruka-sensei. I even asked Tsunande-sama and the officials at the office."

Shikamaru whistled. "All that ground in a day?"

"Yeah."

"Did you try Sakura?"

"She's the one that updated me about this. I was on a mission until just the other day."

"The Anbu Exam, right?" Chouji broke in. "Did you make it in?"

"I don't know," Sasuke shrugged. _Right now, I honestly don't care, either._

"Did you check at your house?" Shikamaru asked him.

"What?" he blinked. "No, of course not."

"Why not?" the other man retorted.

"Why would Naruto be there?" Sasuke frowned.

"If Shikamaru were away on a mission and I wasn't," Chouji spoke quietly, "I'd visit his favorite cloud-watching spot every day until he came back."

"But why would you do something like that?"

"Because I'd miss him," came the other man's answer. "And I'd want to be somewhere where I could at least _feel_ close to him, if I couldn't _be_ close to him."

Shikamaru turned an unhealthy shade of red. "Stop that, man. You're embarrassing me."

"You're too modest, Shikamaru," Chouji nudged his best friend and returned his eyes to Sasuke's. "Sasuke, you don't understand why he'd do that, right?" The black-haired Uchiha nodded. "So go to your house and see if I'm right. If I'm not, you can laugh at me all you want, okay?"

"That's nothing to laugh about," Shikamaru nudged him back. "You're just being an uber dork."

"Naruto's the same way, I'm sure of it." Chouji grinned. "He's just as dorky as I am."

"I'm going to check it out," Sasuke said.

"Good luck finding him!" Chouji waved.

"Let us know what happens," Shikamaru extended a hand to the taller man. "If anything, we'll help as much as we can."

Surprised, Sasuke took the offering and they shook. Then Shikamaru waved him away, turning to enter the ramen stand. Sasuke turned and began the too-familiar path to his big, empty house.

"And if you find out about your exam results, let us know!" Chouji called after him as he began to run.


	37. Winter, 7

_His friend suddenly awoke and asked him what was the matter, and the man had never felt such profound relief—his tears changed to those of joy and he hugged his friend close.

* * *

_

7

The place was quiet; Sasuke rounded the premises twice before heading into the main gathering of houses which each bore the red and white Uchiha family symbol. The newly-tiled roofs were gleaming a solid, dark cobalt hue. The building walls were freshly coated with pearl white paint. The wooden frames and white-paper doors looked new and unused. There was something about the winter months which signified a cleansing of things, and this blood-stained place was in definite need of such a blessing. However, everything here was just plain _new_, or very close to it. Sasuke had to wonder if it had looked this way when he had left. He continued through the courtyard which branched off toward the main house, the sub-houses, and the private training grounds and made his way to the main one, his eyes taking in the beautiful blue and white houses that he passed, superimposed by the iron gray sky above. It looked like snow.

He toed off his shoes at the entrance and the ice cold wood beneath his bare soles made him draw in a sharp breath between his teeth. He slid open the door and glanced around for a pair of house slippers, but his usual pair wasn't there. Another set of shoes were kicked away in the corner of the foyer, though, and Sasuke blinked in wonder, staring at them for half a minute. After all that searching, was Naruto really here after all? He went inside, pulling off his cloak and draping it along the back of the couch (which looked newer to him, but he didn't stop to investigate), making his way slowly into the house. He didn't call out, but merely let his consciousness outward and "felt" for Naruto's presence. When they were younger—and again just recently—Sasuke had been able to sense Naruto's being by simply thinking of him. It was because the blond had such a strong and personal signature to him and it made him hard to miss…or so Sasuke had told himself. The 'essence' of Naruto, as it were, was the color of orange fire, the warmth of sunlight, and the strength of a hurricane.

He felt for that essence now, and located it near the rear of the house, outside, by the tall trees that started in their backyard and stretched all the way into the public training grounds (coincidentally, very near area number forty four, the "Forest of Death", as some examiners liked to exaggerate). Sasuke stopped and debated how to approach his teammate: he could kick up a fuss like the aforementioned man liked to do, or he could wait until he was noticed. But Sakura had said Naruto was speaking to no one. Was Sasuke himself an exception? That's why their third comrade had contacted him while he was out on the mission—she felt as if Sasuke were the only one that could successfully reach him. But if he himself were the source of Naruto's abnormal behavior, wouldn't his presence hinder instead of help?

"Only one way to find out…" Uchiha Sasuke whispered to himself and went for the back yard.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was painting. He had been painting for almost two weeks now, actually. He was coating every outer wall of the Uchiha residence in a fresh skin of white, and little by little, replacing all the ruined doors and furniture with a mixture of his and Sasuke's personal savings. He knew where the last Uchiha kept his extra money and had made sure to not go crazy spending and to document every single dollar he had taken from the stash. He had wanted to work to keep his mind off Sasuke, but couldn't stay away from the other man as hard as he tried. Go figure the house project they had started together in late summer let his two goals come together nicely.

He knew he was worrying people (Sakura and Iruka mostly), but that didn't change the fact that he missed Sasuke and wanted him to come home, successful in his final hurdle to becoming an Anbu. That also didn't change the fact that he wanted Sasuke to fail the mission and stop considering his marriage to Hyuuga Hinata. His emotions were confusing and consuming; it made him physically ill to think about Sasuke marrying Hinata, not that the girl was evil or unpretty or anything like that. Naruto finally knew his true feelings for Sasuke, but had also been shown that they were not returned. Both Gaara and Iruka had told him to tell the other man how he felt, but to destroy what Sasuke was trying to create was something he did not want to do, so he stayed quiet and every day this past month, a little more of his heart began to ache and a little more of his mind began to numb to the idea of the marriage and a little more of _him_ began to close itself off from the confusion and pain.

And that's why he was here, painting walls.

His only break from this self-seclusion was when he had heard about Sasuke's collapse in the middle-class residential area. He had flown to Sakura's, convinced Sasuke had been heading there (why he had collapsed and why he had went to Sakura's first were questions he didn't think of until later) and he had been right. She had dragged him up to her room and nursed his dehydration there, not taking him to the hospital because it had been a mild condition, only because—she had told him—he had done a substantial amount of running. She wouldn't tell him why he had been running so much, though. And then, Sasuke had refused the water Sakura kept trying to give him while he was unconscious. And he, Naruto, had…

He blushed crimson at the recollection. It hadn't been what he was expecting as a first real kiss (hell, he didn't even think he'd _get_ a first real kiss from Sasuke, of all people) and it was strange but somehow _right_. He had put the water in his own mouth and forced Sasuke's lips apart, feeling a brief pang of guilt over the resulting bloody lip, and released the water into him, lifting his head so it would slide down his throat. Sakura had been shocked to silence at the display. After a second mouthful Naruto had reluctantly pulled away; Sasuke would drink on his own after the initial coaxing. He had left them and returned to the job he had left in his haste. _But still…_ he placed one of his paint-free fingers against his own lips, feeling them, feeling where he had joined with Sasuke for the briefest of moments.

"Sasuke…" he whispered to no one.

"Yes?" came the calm reply. Naruto nearly screamed; he dropped his dripping brush into the grass at his feet and spun toward the back entrance of the house, his blue eyes widening as they caught sight of the black-clad figure leaning against the outside wall, arms crossed, his head tilted slightly to one side as he observed the other man.

"Sa…!" he choked, cutting himself off by clapping his paint-streaked hand over his trembling mouth. _How long was he…! _"How long…?" he mumbled through shaking fingers. _Oh, god._ "How long were you…?"

"You like to stare at walls, I noticed," Sasuke replied with a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Naruto's eyes fell on them and his heart did flipflops in his chest. He dropped his hand from his mouth to his chest and clutched at it convulsively. _Don't come any closer! Don't smile! Don't LOOK at me like _THAT He felt his knees go weak as the black-haired man approached him.

"Don't…!" came the weak, squeaking voice. Naruto swallowed down the frog in his throat, his adam's apple moving up and down visibly. Sasuke lost the amused look and frowned softly, his eyes peering into Naruto's like he was trying to read his soul. Naruto cringed away.

"What's the matter with you?" Sasuke said, coming even closer. "Sakura told me you disappeared almost entirely without a word to anyone, and I find you _here_ of all places. _Painting_." He shook his head. "What's up, Naruto? Why won't you tell anyone what's bothering you? This isn't like you."

The other man shrunk back against the wall, taking in the soothing words, the comforting voice, the concerned eyes. It lulled his heart. His mind recalled the faint touch back at the academy. His hand lifted on its own. It rose between them slowly; Sasuke watched it lift with a questioning stare. It stopped. It hovered. It moved toward Sasuke's face… Naruto realized what he was doing and snatched his hand away. The thought of the consequences he could have faced if he had gone through with his impulse made him wide-eyed and breathless. Sasuke did _not_ like to be touched. He did _not_ like to deal with other people's issues. He just _did not care._ This new, "caring" Sasuke was freaking him out and just confusing him even more. "Nothing," he whispered. "It's nothing."

Sasuke's frown deepened. "It's definitely not 'nothing', Naruto. You don't look well…"

"I said, it's nothing. I'm fine!" he reiterated, a little more harshly than he intended. The frown that had marred Sasuke's features now took on a slightly impatient (maybe angered) look.

"Look, I came running all the way back here because Sakura told me there was something wrong with you. I didn't run back here for _nothing_, Naruto, so tell me!"

"It's NOTHING, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted and instantly regretted it. The anger came out on Sasuke's face plainly and the blond felt like kicking himself. _It's not everyday __Sasuke__ cares, you idiot!_ He yelled at himself. _He doesn't care about anyone else like this, you know that! So why are you pushing him away?_

And a tiny, deeper part of himself answered his own question: _Because I'm scared of getting hurt. Why should I take that comfort if it's not real? It's not the comfort I _want _from him, and I can't be satisfied with being passive anymore! I love him!_

The first voice:_Sasuke's__ happiness is your happiness, remember? So just shrug off everything he's said and make with the smiles again! Or else he's really going to know something's wrong._

_Something _is_ wrong! This marriage! I should be able to tell him how I feel without feeling guilty about it!_

_You're his _friend_. You'll just end up hurting and confusing _him,_ and if one of you can be spared from suffering, isn't that enough? You don't like hurting the people you love, do you?_

_I don'__t like hurting myself either! I don't like hiding this side of me! It's like I'm no longer myself and I'm lying to everyone around me. I…don't like…lying to him…_

_But I want him to be happy—_

_But _I_ want to be happy—_

_I can't truly be happy—_

_—unless I tell him!_

_Don't tell him!_

_But I__ love__—_

_Don't!_

Naruto leaned over and clapped his hands about his head, as if trying to hold his brain and all his feelings inside it. He closed his eyes as hot tears welled up in them: "LEAVE ME _ALONE!_" he screeched and ran for the woods.

"N-Naruto!" Sasuke stumbled as if he had been slapped, his anger gone in a rush of worry and confusion. What the hell was going _on_? "Naruto, come back!" But the blond was gone. Sasuke instantly gave chase: _something _is_ wrong with him! Why the hell won't he tell me?_ His lungs and legs both cried in protest at his chase, but he ignored the pain signals his body fed him and dove into the dark woods after his friend.


	38. Winter, 8

_"I thought you were off in search of fear," his friend smiled and his heart swelled with a sudden and fierce love. "I see you are back; I missed you."

* * *

_

8

_Dammit_Sasuke stopped at the foot of a tree and scanned his eyes around for any hint that Naruto had been that way. He couldn't even sense the other man's energy, like before at the house. The only tell-tale signs of the blond were faint smidgens of chakra that rubbed off on tree branches and the dead earth wherever he had stepped or jumped. _He's determined to get away._ Sasuke gritted his teeth. _Not from me, he won't. It's my turn to chase you, __Naruto_he began running again. _Chase you and bring you back home. __To me.

* * *

_

He stumbled to a stop at the lake's edge, panting and hanging his head, putting his hands on his knees for support. For a moment, the blood pounding in his head and the drum-loud beat of his heart and the steady crashing roar of the waterfall drowned out all other thoughts and feelings and Naruto was at peace with himself.

_Why are you running? _He asked himself. _What's the point? You know he'll chase you._

_No, he won't. _Naruto's pessimistic side jumped in with a vengeance. _This is _Sasuke_ we're talking about here. He'll just shrug it off as you acting like a dumbass and go grace someone else with his presence._

Someone else… Naruto's chest constricted and he couldn't breathe. Someone else. Someone _else._Not him but someone _else._ He was dizzy. He fell to his knees. His pants were soaked through with cold water and mud. The coldness snapped him out of his semi-daze and for the first time, he truly studied where he had run.

The Valley of the End.

Naruto let out a half-hearted laugh, driven by irony. Try to get away from the man you couldn't stop thinking about and end up in a place where everything reminds you of him. Great job. Too weak to care, he slumped forward into the water. The cold darkness enveloped him like a silk blanket. He felt safe within the water. Cared for. _Come lie down here and I'll hold you until your pain __goes__ away,_ it seemed to say to him. He closed his eyes as his lungs began to scream for breath. That wouldn't be so bad. To forget about Sasuke. His pain. _Forget about __Sasuke_ The rational part of his brain tried to scream. _You _love_Sasuke__! You can't just _forget_ about him! _But the voice was nothing but a meager squeak in the roar that filled his body: his lungs cried, his heart railed, his muscles fought, and his brain pounded. He ignored his entire body, drifting down farther, the water's embrace getting tighter. _Safe…

* * *

_

Sasuke hurtled toward the lake faster than he had ever moved in his life. "_NARUTO!"_ he yelled and dove in after the blond. He kicked his aching legs and stroked his quivering arms and rocketed down into the depths of the lake. Naruto floated near the bottom, not moving, with an oddly-peaceful look on his pale face. Sasuke grabbed one outstretched wrist and yanked the other man into him, touching his feet to the bottom and using a concentrated blast of chakra to shoot them toward the surface. His chest tightened—he was choking—he winced and kicked faster and harder, his arm convulsing around Naruto's waist. The other man was a dead weight in his arms, pulling him back toward the lake's depths. If he didn't make headway pretty soon, he'd have to let Naruto go, get another breath, and try again.

_NO! _a voice inside of him welled up at the thought. _I won't leave him here to die! Kick! KICK! __**KICK!**_

Sasuke put on a burst of speed and broke the surface of the water, coughing, sputtering, gasping. Naruto twitched in his arms but otherwise didn't move. The water sucked at them. Sasuke struggled to shore, dragging Naruto's unconscious form onto the muddy bank and falling to his knees beside the other man. "Naruto…?" he called tentatively. When he got no answer, he leaned his head down and turned his ear to the blonde's mouth, listening and feeling for breath. It was scarce. Sasuke pulled back frowning. _I've got to get his breathing to steady._ Licking his lips—nervously—Sasuke bent over once more, his hands grasping Naruto's head gently and tilting it back. He placed his mouth against his friend's and forced the unwilling lips open with his tongue. Then, he began to breathe.

_In. Out._ He tried to match the normal rhythm of his heartbeat. _In. Out. _He willed for Naruto to breathe with him. _In. Out._ His concentration was leaking away with his patience. _In. Out. __Breathe!__ In. Out. In. Out. In. Out…_

"Nn…" a noise came from the other man's chest and Sasuke moved away, something within him cutting itself off at the loss of contact. He stared avidly at Naruto's scarred face.

"Wake up, Naruto," he whispered. "Please."

His eyes opened slowly. He stared up in hazy confusion. He blinked. "Sa…?" he coughed. Water dribbled from the corner of his mouth and he coughed harder, leaning onto his left side and lifting himself up with his elbow. He hacked, his wet body shuddering with the intensity of the fit. Sasuke touched his back gently and waited for the coughing to subside, but even after it did, Naruto kept himself turned away. His shoulders shook. His body trembled.

"Naruto…?" Sasuke called.

"Leave me alone," the blond choked on more water and spit and his own words. He shook fiercely beneath Sasuke's hand. "Go away. Leave me alone." Sasuke suddenly felt angry. He took his hand from between Naruto's shoulders and reached around, grabbing his free arm and yanking, hard, evicting a yelp of pain and surprise from the other man. His lips tightened together and his other hand shot out and grabbed the other flailing arm and shook him.

"HEY!" he yelled louder than he had planned. "I didn't _have_ to come back here! After defeating Itachi, I could have kept running! But _I came back for you_, Naruto, and now you're telling me to 'go away'? If you really wanted me gone you would have never chased after me for five and a half years! Am I right?" His voice quieted. He released his death-grip on the blonde's shoulders. "I mean, have I misinterpreted everything? Do you really _not _want me here?"

"No!" Naruto wailed in dismay, taking himself from Sasuke's hands and covering his face in shame. "I mean, yes," he sobbed. "Of _course_ I want you here! Why do you think I tried so hard to get you back?" He hiccupped, sniffled, and peeked out at the dark-haired man from between the split in his fingers. "I missed you while you were gone. I missed you when you left for your initiation mission. I miss you whenever you're not around…" he confessed softly. Sasuke sat back and blinked, stunned. Naruto slowly lowered his hands from his red, tear-streaked face, his bottom lip quivering and his eyes brimming. Ashamed but defiant, he continued: "I… You're all I can think about, Sasuke. You're all I _care_ about. For years. I think you and I were the only ones who never realized it before, but—" he took a deep breath, "—I can't stand sharing you. I want all of your attention for myself and this decision to marry after the examination has been driving me up the wall for months. I…" Naruto abruptly closed his mouth and shook his head, wiping the tears from his eyes and cheeks. "I've said to much," he kept his eyes away. "You didn't have to hear all that. Sorry."

"Is that…" Sasuke gulped down a thickness lodged in his throat. "Is that why you ran?"

"I didn't know what to say to you," Naruto stared down at his lap. "You startled me. I thought you were still resting at Sakura's."

"And…before that?" he pressed. "The way you were acting? They way you…avoided me?"

"That was when I realized…" Naruto blushed lightly, still refusing to look up. "I didn't know how to react to it, to you, so I kept my distance. Then, when baa-chan told me about…" he swallowed hard. "I realized I needed you with me, to support me." He finally chanced a glance up. "To give me the strength to hear the truth, I guess." Sasuke was surprised. Hell, he was shocked dumb. He could only sit beside Naruto and openly stare. The blond squirmed under his gaze. "Will you stop staring?" he snapped, sounding a little like his old self. "You're creeping me out." He sighed. "Look, you don't have to say anything about it, okay? You were asking and so I finally told you what was going on." His blush came back, stronger this time. "I just wish I _hadn't_. Then it wouldn't be this awkward." He forced out a laugh. The noise startled Sasuke out of his stupor.

"So…" he said though a thick, suddenly-clumbsy tongue. "You…"

"Geez, Sasuke, you're kinda dense, aren't you?" Naruto's laughter was a little truer this time. "I guess that's okay. At least I got this off my chest." He suddenly made a face. "Unless, of course, you're uncomfortable with everything I said." He paused. "_Are_ you uncomfortable with it?"

"I…" Sasuke blinked. "I don't really know." Truthfully, he didn't. "I mean, I…" He faltered, frowned. How could he explain how he felt? How _did_ he feel, exactly? "I don't know," he repeated. "I have to revive—"

"Your clan, I know," the blond waved it off. "You don't have to explain. I know you better than you give me credit for. I didn't want to bring this up in the face of your goals," he shrugged. "I didn't want to make you feel awkward, or confuse you." He looked up again. "Have I?"

Sasuke chuckled, a bit uneasily. "Yeah, you did." He shook his head. "It's alright though. I kept asking, and so you told me. But," he frowned a little, "I just…don't know what to say or really think about it."

"You don't have to say or do anything," Naruto said, a little too gruffly. "It's okay. Just…forget I said it, okay?"

_I don't think I can,_ Sasuke mused to himself. Aloud, he said: "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Naruto frowned. "Don't worry about it."

Sasuke frowned too. "Alright," he agreed. "I won't."


	39. Winter, 9

_"I came back for you," the man replied. "I came back because you were ill and I had never been so afraid in all of my life." And in that instant, the man realized what he had said._

_**

* * *

9**_

Sasuke made tea while Naruto showered. He had to do it twice because he somehow managed to make the drink taste like mustard the first time. Now, as he poured the hot water through the sifter, his thoughts turned back to their original course: Naruto's confession. He just couldn't bring himself to believe everything he'd heard earlier—_he's pulling my leg_—but at the same time, Naruto's odd behavior and his tearful outburst were hard facts against a mere prank. The more he tried to make sense of it the more his head hurt. And his fingers were burning. Sasuke looked down and cursed; the tea was spilling over the rim of the cup. He'd have to do it again. Sighing, shaking his head to clear it, he dumped everything in the sink and began attempt number three.

* * *

The blond came out in borrowed pants and a towel covering his damp locks. He began to scrub it dry, plopping down on the couch opposite the other man with a heavy sigh, the coffee table between them covered with a pot of steaming tea and two brimming cups. "Thanks for letting me shower here, Sasuke," he grinned with his teeth (it did not reach his eyes). "It would have been a bitch to walk all the way back to my house in wet clothes. Probably would have caught a cold or something." He draped the towel over his head and reached for the cup closer to him. "And thanks for this too," he gestured with the drink. "After this, I'm gonna grab my stuff and head on home. I think I've overstayed my welcome here."

Sasuke glanced around before answering. "You've done a lot of work in three weeks."

"Ah, you think so?" Naruto grinned again, sitting back in the armchair and sipping his tea. He winced, lolling out his tongue and fanning it quickly.

"It looks good," Sasuke commented neutrally. "New paint, new furniture…"

"Yeah, about that," Naruto put his cup down, opting to let his drink cool before burning himself again. "I borrowed some of your savings to replace everything that was damaged or broken." When Sasuke lifted an eyebrow, he held up his hands quickly. "I didn't use it all or anything! I just borrowed some. I used my own money too, so…"

"You didn't have to use your own," the dark-haired man shook his head.

"No, it's okay," he insisted. "We've been using your money all this time, so I felt kinda bad…"

"Naruto, it's my house. We're _supposed_ to use my money."

"Yeah, but... I still think it's not fair, you know?"

Sasuke made a face: "Weirdo."

Naruto laughed and reached for his tea again, leaned back, and sipped. Sasuke held his drink between his knees and looked at the other man through his untidy bangs, watching him. _I'm always watching him_, he confessed to himself. _Watching how fast he's improving, how much he's changed, his moods. I can read him. And I know he's faking._ Indeed the laughter that came from Naruto's mouth felt forced, fake, and the jittering leg indicated nervousness more than restlessness. His body was stiff and his face was well-guarded. He was trying to keep it all bottled inside him. It made Sasuke…angry. _Can't he trust me? I know he told me__ something really weird, but still…we're above this, right? I mean, he can't be serious about half those things he said…_ He focused again on Naruto's face. The blue eyes above the rim of the cup were drawn and clouded with anger. _Who's he angry with? Me, or himself?_

"Naru—"

"Sasuke."

The black-haired man swallowed back his words and waited.

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

He dropped his cup at the unexpected news. The ceramic cracked in half and split open, spilling green tea across the hardwood floor between his feet. Naruto jumped and glared at him apprehensively. Sasuke felt his face flush, reached for the fragments of the cup and stopped, biting his lip. "You're leaving?" he repeated.

"Mm," Naruto nodded, putting his own cup onto the coffee table and leaning back against his chair again. "I thought about it while I was working on the house," he explained. "And… I just think it'd be better for me to clear out for a couple of months—"

"Whoa, wait!" Sasuke held up his hands. "_Months?_ Why so long?"

"Training," he frowned. "Remember what baa-chan said? How she wanted to start training me? Well, I think it'd be better to train away from Konoha and all of its…distractions." Sasuke's head was spinning. _He's leaving? After everything we've been through this year, he's just going to _leave "Besides, it's not like I'll be going forever," Naruto seemed to read his mind. "Just a few months to seriously get involved with my studies."

"But…why can't you just study here?" Sasuke asked. "I mean, isn't it better to train closer to the hokage herself?"

"I'm going to talk to her about that, actually," he replied. "I'm going to ask if I can be transferred to the Sand Country and train under the Kazekage."

"_Gaara?_" the black-haired man cried, sounding angrier than he intended. "You're going to leave the Leaf to train under the _Sand_? Our countries are run completely different—!"

"But the kage's duties are exactly the same," Naruto argued. "They learn the major policies and rules of each country, they study some of the more advanced and secret magic ever recorded, and they interact with dignitaries from all countries. And besides," the blond added as an afterthought, "I'm a little worried about Gaara and this whole Cloud Country thing, so I want to be by his side."

Sasuke opened his mouth, but no response came to mind. _He wants to be by…Gaara's side? What about what he just told me? Shouldn't he want to stay here…with me? He's worried about Gaara, but not me?I don't understand what he's thinking…!_

"I know this seems a little sudden," Naruto continued, "but I've thought about this for a long time now, and I think it'd be better…for the both of us."

_The both of us? _"Naruto, I—"

"Please, Sasuke," the blue eyes found his and froze any other protests. "It _will_ be better for the two of us. I can finally study hard to achieve my dream of becoming the Hokage, and you can focus on reviving your clan, without worrying about what I said…if you're even worried about it at all." Sasuke closed his mouth, his brow furrowing. "I haven't told Sakura or Iruka-sensei yet; you're the first one to know." He smiled. "I wanted to wait for you to come back before I decided, although, I didn't expect to confess my feelings for you so quickly."

Naruto abruptly stood. Sasuke leapt to his feet as well, forgetting about the shards of porcelain, kicking one with his slippered foot and hearing it clatter along the floorboards but not paying attention. He raised one arm before him, as if he could halt the other man's movement with that one action. Naruto smiled again, and again it did not touch his stormy blue eyes, and he took a deep breath and nodded once, firmly.

"I'll come visit you again before I go," he went for his things piled in the foyer. Sasuke didn't follow, but merely turned to watch him walk across the room. "You have to let me know the results of your exam when you find out. I'm not going to leave until I know." He lifted his black and orange jacket from his pack and changed from the house slippers to his regular shoes, hoisting the bag onto his shoulders. "Thanks for the shower again, and the tea." He looked to the ground at Sasuke's feet. "You should clean that spill up before it stains the wood permanently." He gave one last smile and waved, sliding open the paper door. An ice cold wind swirled into the room. "See you around, Sasuke." He left. The door snapped shut behind him, cutting out the cold. But Sasuke still began to shiver. He dropped back awkwardly onto the couch, blinking numbly, staring at nothing, his mind reeling. Through his swirling thoughts, his unseeing eyes focused on a strip of white on the foyer table. Had Naruto left something behind? For him? He pulled himself to his feet and stumbled over to the entrance of the house, feeling the icy cold that seeped inside from underneath the doorframe. He touched the white thing—a scroll—and recalled that this was the scroll Sakura had handed him before he left her house to search for Naruto. An official scroll. He'd jumped into the lake with it still tucked into his belt.

Sasuke touched it. Hesitated. Then he picked it up and peeled the wax seal back and unrolled it to reveal the writing inside. He read it. He read it again. He fell backward and landed hard on the raised step and read it a third time, ignoring the throb in his lower back. Suddenly and unexpectedly, tears burned in his eyes and his throat choked up. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, and the one thing that popped into his head was Naruto's red-cheeked, tear-stained face: _'…your decision to marry after the examination has been driving me up the wall…'_


	40. Winter, 10

_He hugged his friend tighter: "You have taught me how to fear, and for that I am both thankful and sad. I will never leave you again, so please don't ever leave me."_

_**

* * *

10**_

"Meet us back here at seven a.m. tomorrow morning, okay?" Jun reminded him.

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded.

"Are you sure you're alright, Sasuke-san?" Naori cast a worried glance his way as they descended the staircase in twos, she and he in front, and Jun and Haiyu behind.

"I'm fine," he assured her.

"He's gearing up for the big day," the other man quipped teasingly from behind them. "It's on the last day of December, you know."

"I hope you remembered to put us on the guest list," Jun followed his in suit, poking Sasuke in the side as they reached to bottom floor.

"You're all invited," he assured.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?" Naori asked again.

"I'm fine," he repeated. "But I'm going to be late if I don't hurry."

"Get out of here, kid," Haiyu waved him away as they exited the main building of the assignment headquarters. "Don't stay out too late."

"You should listen to your own advice," Jun made a face at him. Sasuke left them on the street, making the left instead of the right. He felt Naori's concerned gaze on him for a few steps before she followed her two friends home. He took to the alleyways, cutting some time off his trip; he was indeed running late. She'd be mad at him if he wasn't on time again. His cloak fit itself around him, covering the white vest and black uniform combination, his new mask—a raven's stylized face—tied securely at his hip. The short katana was tied to the other side and barely visible as he strode quickly through the slowly-growing crowd. It was getting dark, and people were starting to go home. The streets would be unmanageable soon. He walked faster.

"You're going to be late, Sasuke," Rock Lee fell into step seamlessly beside him. He'd sensed the other man's approach and was therefore not surprised at his voice. He merely shrugged and kept walking, slipping nimbly through the thickening throngs of people.

"My meeting ran long," he offered as an explanation. "What's your excuse?"

"Training," the green-clad man chuckled. "Although she won't accept that at all."

"Then we'd better run, don't you think?" he stated more than asked and that was all it took. They were off in two separate flashes of color.

* * *

He struggled with the lock, cursing at his stubborn key. Finally, it swung open and let him tumble into his dark apartment with a weary sigh. Tsunande had been entirely too hard on him this afternoon—his whole body was one big ache. She said she was "loosening him up" for when he left on the training mission to Gaara's country, but severing all chakra connections within his body for a full hour and a half, and then switching all his nervous system signal carriers so that he was moving his arms instead of his legs was just plain _wrong_. And to top it all off, next week she was going to do some mental exercises. He could hardly wait… 

"_**SURPRISE!**_"

"WAGH!" Naruto fell over.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata wailed.

"Dork," Kiba muttered from beside her.

"Erm…surprise?" Sakura laughed nervously.

The blond looked up at all his friends crowded tightly into his tiny apartment. "What…are you all doing here?" he asked them, getting to his feet.

"We all decided we should throw you a surprise party before you left," Chouji grinned at him from behind the taller Shikamaru, who looked like he wanted to rate this event as "troublesome" but didn't have the heart (that, or he was scared of Sakura).

Instead, he said: "The ramen's getting cold."

"You bought ramen?" the blond clutched his chest and mock-swooned.

"I bet you Chouji will eat it before you even get the chance, Naruto," Ino teased.

"Waaaaaaah!" the blond ran for the kitchen. The others swarmed after him, chattering excitedly. Only Sasuke and Hinata stayed behind. She was watching after the group with her unreadable white eyes. He was standing by the door, looking as if he wished he were anywhere else but here. Slowly, her gaze slid to his as her cheeks flushed. He stiffened. They stared at each other from across the dim living room.

"S-Sasuke-kun…" she whispered.

He nodded to her. "Hinata."

Her face reddened even more, and she hurried into the kitchen after the others. Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets and stayed back in the empty room, listening to Naruto and the others chattering over the food everyone had brought to the blonde's surprise party.

* * *

"So, when are you finally leaving?" Konohamaru took another sip of his coke. 

"Well, I haven't really figured that out," Naruto chuckled to himself, "but I do know it'll definitely be within the next two weeks."

"And how long were you planning on staying in Gaara's country?" Shino asked him.

"Ah, about a year or so," the blond shrugged. "As long as they'll have me in their country, really. But I'm aiming for a year."

"That's a long time," Sakura made a face. "Will you write to us?"

"Of course I will!" he assured quickly. "And besides, it's not like I'm hundreds of miles away or anything! I can visit everytime the Kazekage passes through Konoha." He grinned at them all. "So don't worry, guys, I'll definitely keep in touch."

Sasuke watched the scene quietly from the doorway, saying not a word. The only one paying attention to him was Kiba, who just kept scowling at him. The only other one was Hinata, and she couldn't keep her eyes on him for more than a second before she broke out into a fresh, hard blush. Chouji ate obliviously while Shikamaru was the only one who truly noticed it all, and watched in bored silence. The chatter continued. Sasuke kept his eyes on Naruto, a frown marring his brow ever-so slightly.

* * *

He saw Sakura out; the last guest. It was two a.m.. "Thanks, Sakura," he told her. "I know you're the one who coordinated all this." 

"I wanted to, so don't thank me," she stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

Naruto smiled briefly, then sighed and leaned against the doorframe. "Sasuke didn't stay."

She lost her smile too. "I know he showed up, but I don't know when he left."

"I told him, you know."

"I know," she said softly.

"Did you figure it out too?" he grinned helplessly.

"It took me a while after the whole disappearing incident, but, yeah," she smiled sadly.

"I guess I can't make fun of you anymore, huh?" he smiled back, just as sorrowfully.

"The only thing I can tell you is not to dwell on him like I did," she looked away. "It hurt too much for too long. I'm finally starting to get over him…"

"While I'm only just beginning," Naruto grinned at the irony. "We can really pick 'em, huh Sakura?"

"I just finally realized that I'm not Sasuke's number one person," she shrugged. "I don't know if that's the same case for you, but—"

He shook his head. "I'm not. He doesn't _have_ a number one person. He told me… He told me he can live without love, and I guess he really can, if he can go through with this marriage all composed like this."

"Maybe he hasn't found his number one person yet…?"

"That didn't make me feel any better, Sakura."

"Sorry," she turned away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto."

"See you," he waved and watched her go. When she disappeared into the inner stairwell, he stepped back inside his apartment and closed the door. She had stayed to help him clean up, so it wasn't all that bad. He just wanted to go to sleep, and forget the conversation that just happened. He wished he could forget, anyway.

"Oi," the other man spoke from the darkness behind him and Naruto squealed and whirled around to face the darkness. Sasuke stepped into his line of sight.

"You bastard!" he clutched at his heart. "Do you want me to die before I'm twenty five?"

"When are you _really_ leaving?" the black-haired man backed Naruto up against the door so the blond couldn't escape his questions. Still, though, the blue eyes avoided his own.

"I was thinking…January first."

"Why so late?"

"Because…I promised…"

"Promised what?"

"I promised you," the eyes briefly met his own and slipped away again.

"What did you promise me, Naruto?"

"I promised…to be the best man at your wedding."

Sasuke's eyes shot open wide. "Even after everything, you—"

"I never go back on my words," Naruto frowned to his feet. "And I never break a promise to someone I cherish." Those piercing eyes rose slowly, defiantly, to meet the dark amber glare. "I promised you I'd be your best man at your wedding, and that's what I'm going to do. The mission starts after my last day of training with baa-chan, so it's my call when I finally leave. So…"

He didn't realize he had reached out, he didn't know what drove him to do so, but his arms reached around the shorter man and pulled him close, holding him tight. The blond stiffened within the circle of his embrace. The moment ended as soon as it began, and also spanned an eternity for each of them. Naruto's heart stopped and Sasuke's raced. Naruto's breaths were harsh and ragged gasps, while Sasuke didn't breathe at all.

"Thank you," he choked. "Thank you for putting up with someone like me."

Naruto slowly grinned, his arms coming around Sasuke's waist and touching him hesitantly, hugging him gently. "If I don't do it," he chuckled, his throat suddenly fighting with sobs, "who's going to?"

"_Dobe…_" he held him tighter, squeezing his eyes shut. "_Usuratonkachi._"

"Yeah," Naruto tucked his head into the curve of Sasuke's neck and slowly breathed him in. "I know."

* * *

**Notes: **And it's _over! _Waaaaaah! _Different Seasons_ has finally come to an end, and let me express, it's not at ALL what I originally intended. XD I guess forty chapters isn't enough to cover the range of emotions for these guys, so, I've decided to write a part two! That's right! Look for a new story, coming soon, entitled: **_A Change of Seasons_** Thanks for reading! Ja! Kitty 


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